Pokémon Kalos Journey VOL 1
by 19jchoi
Summary: A boy named Yuki, with his partner Hawlucha aims to become the best Trainer around Kalos. They travel together new Pokémon and friends like Ash, Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie in order to achieve their dreams, and to encounter Mega Evolution! But evil, like Team Rocket intends to get in their way. Could the trainers achieve their dreams in Kalos?
1. The Boy And The Hawlucha

**Pokémon Kalos Journey: VOL. 1**

**(I do not own Pokémon)**

**Chapter 1: The Boy And The Hawlucha**

It was a big day in Aquacorde Town, where it is a town, part of the Kalos region of the Pokémon world. In the forest of Aquacorde Town, a boy was training with a Pokémon of his. His name is Yuki Muramoto. Yuki was an orphan who wished to become a best trainer in Kalos. His Pokémon friend was a Hawlucha, of who he met in the forest. The two of them were practicing combat for battles!

Yuki had dark brown hair, black eyes, and a bandaged nose. He wore black shorts, and a sleeveless gray shirt. He wore black fingerless gloves, and had a few muscles in his body. The two were panting heavily from the heavy training they did. "Huff... Huff... Alright, Hawlucha. I think that's enough for today." Yuki panted. Hawlucha shook his head and asked for more!

"Lucha! Haw!" Hawlucha cried. Yuki wiped the sweat from his forehead and grinned. "Want some more, huh? Okay, then!" Yuki smirked. With that, the two fought once again. _"I can't remember the last time we fought and trained like this. It was about two years ago, when we met."_ Yuki thought.

**Flashback**

Young Yuki was walking in the forest. He was an eight year old who liked adventures, even if it wasn't very far. Just as he was walking, he heard a weak voice. "Haw..." The voice moaned. "Hm?" Yuki wondered. He walked to where he heard the voice, and gasped. A Pokémon that looked like bidepal, bird Pokémon like. Hawlucha had a mask like face, with wings as his arms.

Hawlucha was injured very badly, with bruises and cuts all over his body. "Oh no! Are you okay!?" Yuki gasped as he ran over to Hawlucha. Hawlucha weakly opened his eyes to see Yuki touching him! Hawlucha made a weak attempt to Attack Yuki with Karate Chop, but was too weak to do so.

"Please, it's okay. I'm not your enemy." Yuki pleaded. Hawlucha looked at Yuki's eyes, seeing that he could trust the boy a little. He let the boy hug him as Yuki picked Hawlucha up. "It's okay. I'll get you to the Pokémon Center! Nurse Joy will be able to help you!" Yuki assured.

With that, Yuki quickly ran for the Center, running to the front desk! "Nurse Joy! Please help!" Yuki cried. Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff ran over to check on Hawlucha. "What happened?" Nurse Joy asked. "I was exploring in the Aquacorde Forest, when I found Hawlucha here!" Yuki explained. Tears began to well up in his eyes. Nurse Joy placed the injured Hawlucha in the hospital cart and headed to the healing room!

Wigglytuff followed along. "I need you to stay out here and wait, okay?" Nurse Joy asked. "O-Okay..." Yuki agreed.

With that, Yuki waited outside of the medical room. "Who would hurt Hawlucha like that?" Yuki hiccuped. He was crying a little, saddened about of what happened to Hawlucha. It was a few hours later, until Nurse Joy came back out! "You can see Hawlucha again, now." Nurse Joy explained.

Yuki then ran inside the medical room, to check on Hawlucha. The Wrestling Pokémon was sleeping from the medicine it had. All the damage in his body was gone. Yuki quietly walked closer to Hawlucha and smiled. "I hope you feel better soon, Hawlucha..." Yuki whispered, rubbing Hawlucha's head soothingly.

Hawlucha seemed to have felt it, before it gave a small, relaxing smile and a sigh.

The next day, Yuki was walking back to the Pokémon Center to see Hawlucha. As the doors opened, something flew out of the doors and collided into Yuki! Yuki gave surprise yelp as he landed on the ground. He opened his eyes to see Hawlucha grinning, while pinning his arms down to the ground. "It's good to see you again, Hawlucha!" Yuki smirked happily.

"Lucha..." Hawlucha agreed, nodding. Nurse Joy came to see the reunion! "Hawlucha was waiting for you to come back. It must've wanted to thank you for rescuing him!" Nurse Joy smiled. Yuki then escaped Hawlucha's pinning and smiled at Hawlucha. "Well, I'm glad that you're okay, Hawlucha." Yuki chuckled as he rubbed Hawlucha's head with a smile.

Hawlucha nodded as it grinned back at Yuki!

Later, Hawlucha was dragging Yuki back to Aquacorde Forest, where he led the eight year old to a waterfall! "Whoa!... Is this where you train, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked, excited. Hawlucha nodded as it leapt onto the rocks, before landing on the rock that was on top of the waterfall!

Hawlucha took a deep breath and dove down! Hawlucha glowed with light! "That's Flying Press!" Yuki gasped. But, just as Hawlucha was finishing the move, Hawlucha stumbled and rammed into Yuki! "Aaahh!" Yuki yelled. The two groaned as they got up from the blow they had together. "Whoa... Flying Press would need some work, Hawlucha..." Yuki chuckled sheepishly.

He rubbed the back of his head, with Hawlucha doing the same. "Hawlucha?" Yuki asked. Hawlucha looked at Yuki in question. "If you'd like... Would it be okay if I train with you?" Yuki asked. Hawlucha grew surprised, but smiled as it gave a nod. "Thanks, Hawlucha!" Yuki thanked happily. So, with that, the two trained together for a year.

Yuki grew strong from the heavy training he and Hawlucha had. During the months, Hawlucha became Yuki's best friend and Yuki's first Pokémon! They defeated together wild Pokémon, even strong ones like a Mienshao, Machoke, and a Machamp! Their bond grew as two years had passed.

**End Flashback**

It was evening as the two panted, laying on the ground. The two were covered in bruises, and cuts. "Huff... Huff... That was pretty intense, wasn't it?" Yuki asked. "Haw..." Hawlucha agreed. Then, as in a surprise, Hawlucha tugged onto Yuki's arm, and pulled him close! "Hm?" Yuki asked, surprised. Then, all of a sudden, Hawlucha gave Yuki a warming hug!

Yuki grew surprised with this. Then, a few seconds later, he gave his best friend a hug back. "I'm glad that we met, buddy." Yuki assured. "Lucha..." Hawlucha assured back, feeling the same.

As the two parted from their hug, a call called to them! Yuki and Hawlucha turned to see a Fletchling coming to their way! "A Fletchling?" Yuki asked. The little Flying Type was carrying a letter with its two talons! It carried the letter to Yuki, as the ten year old accepted it. "Thanks, but what is it for?" Yuki asked.

Fletchling didn't answer, but gave a chirp and flew away! Yuki sweat dropped with this. He took a look at the letter and opened it! Hawlucha flew onto Yuki's head and looked at the letter, too! Yuki began to read the letter.

_Yuki,_

_I heard about you and your Hawlucha from the citizens in Aquacorde Town. I am curious of what power you contain or how you bond with your Pokémon. As for that, I want you to come over to Lumiose City, where my research Lab would be. There's a task I wish to give to you._

_From Professor Sycamore._

Yuki closed th letter and looked at Hawlucha. "Well, what do you think?" Yuki asked. Hawlucha gave a nod as in to head for their destination. "Okay then, let's go!" Yuki called. He put on his dark blue sweatshirt and put on his maroon sneakers. "To Lumiose City!" Yuki called. "Lucha!" Hawlucha called, imitating Yuki.

So, the two began to travel their way to Lumiose City. As they were walking, they heard some people talking! "Have you heard? The Santalune Gym Leader, Viola came back!" One person exclaimed. "Really!? I heard that her Bug Types are pretty strong!" Another person stated. "Only a few challengers have beaten her, while a lot lost to her!" The third person replied.

Yuki perked his head up and looked at his partner. "Shall we head to Santalune City first, then?" Yuki asked. "Haw!" Hawlucha agreed. With that, the two fighters ran their way to Santalune Forest!

It was quiet, excluding the noises of a few forest Pokémon. "Wow. It's peaceful here, isn't it?" Yuki asked. "Lucha." Hawlucha agreed, looking at the trees. Suddenly, a big Bug Type landed in their way! "What the!?" Yuki gasped. Hawlucha leapt in front of Yuki to protect him! "Hera!" The Pokémon screeched. "It's a Heracross!" Yuki exclaimed.

Heracross motioned the two to bring it on! "Looks like it wants a battle! Well then, shall we?" Yuki aske, smirking. Hawlucha gave a smirk back and nodded. Then, Yuki turned to the Bug-Fighting Type with a battle stance! "Alright then! If it's a battle that you want, it's a battle that you shall get!" Yuki smirked. Heracross made the first move with Brick Break!

"Dodge it, Hawlucha!" Yuki called. Hawlucha dodged the move, until Yuki called for an Aerial Ace! Hawlucha slashed Heracross with quick speed! "Now's your chance to use Karate Chop!" Yuki called. Hawlucha bashed Heracross with the Fighting Type move, to which Heracross countered with its horn glowing! "Megahorn! Hawlucha! Use Double Team!" Yuki shouted.

Hawlucha created clones of itself, confusing Heracross! "Time for the finishing touch! Hawlucha! Flying Press!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha banished the clones and leapt high into the air! It dove down and smashed Heracross to the ground!

"Cross..." Heracross groaned. "Haw! Hawlucha!" Hawlucha called. Yuki knew what that meant. He had to throw his Pokéball at Heracross now! "Okay! Now's my chance! Go, Pokéball!" Yuki called. The ball opened and sucked the Single Horn Pokémon inside! The ball rattled multiple times before clicking, showing that Heracross has been captured!

"Alright! We've caught Heracross, Hawlucha!" Yuki cheered. "Hawlucha!" Hawlucha cheered along. With that, Yuki released Heracross to face him! "Heracross, I'm sorry if you didn't expect this, but... I hope we can get along in our journeys!" Yuki apologized. Heracross gave a nod, before leaping onto Yuki's head!

Both Hawlucha and Yuki grew surprised as Heracross began sucking on Yuki's head! "H-Hey! Cut it out, Heracross!" Yuki laughed. Heracross stopped sucking and jumped around happily. Yuki shook his head with the Single Horn Pokémon's silliness. He returned the Bug Type back to the Pokéball.

"Hey! You a trainer?" A kid called out. Yuki turned to see a youngster pointing to him! "Yes, I am." Yuki answered. "Great! Then, let's battle!" The boy cried out as he took out a Pokéball. "Go, Linoone!" The boy called. Linoone appeared from its Pokéball and faced Hawlucha! "Ready, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked. The Wrestling Pokémon nodded and ran to face the evolved Normal Type!

"Let's go, then! Linoone, use Take Down!" The youngster called.

**Youngster: Linoone + 1 VS Yuki: Hawlucha + 1**

"Dodge, Hawlucha! Then, use Karate Chop!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha rapidly dodged the Take Down and bashed his winged arm on Linoone! Linoone yelped in pain as it was skidded back to its trainer! "Don't quit, Linoone! Use Iron Tail!" The youngster called. Linoone charged and aimed Iron Tail at Hawlucha!

"Don't count on it! Hawlucha! Intercept with Aerial Ace!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha dodged the Steel Type move and slashed Linoone, sending it once again to the ground! "Now, Hawlucha! Use Flying Press!" Yuki called. The move shocked the youngster. "Flying Press!? That's not good! Linoone, dodge it, quick!" The youngster called.

Linoone made an attempt to dodge, but Hawlucha's speed caught up with it, and the Rushing Pokémon was smashed to the ground! Linoone fainted! "Oh no! Linoone!" The youngster gasped.

**Youngster: 1 Pokémon**

The boy returned Linoone to his Pokéball and sighed. "You got lucky on that! Here it comes! Go! Fletchinder!" The youngster called. The flying Pokémon appeared, only that it was bigger than Fletchling, though it had the same description! Hawlucha got ready for this, but Yuki stopped him. "Wait, Hawlucha. I want to give our new friend a try." Yuki called.

Hawlucha turned and nodded, running back to his side. "Let's go, Heracross!" Yuki called. The Single Horn Pokémon appeared, ready to face Fletchinder. The youngster laughed at this! "Ha ha ha! You're kidding, right?! Heracross has a three type disadvantage against a Fire and Flying Type like Fletchinder!" The boy laughed.

Yuki glared at the boy with a sharp glare. "Don't insult a Pokémon, just because of the type advantage. Also, how do you know that your Fletchinder is going to win? You won't know until you battle!" Yuki snapped.

The youngster grew silent as he shuddered with the glare. Heracross gave Yuki a thanking look! "Let's go. Heracross! Swords Dance!" Yuki called. Swords clashed around Heracross, giving it an Attack boost! "We won't let you! Fletchinder! Steel Wing!" The boy shouted. Fletchinder charged at Heracross with metal wings!

"Dodge, then use Swords Dance again!" Yuki called. Heracross narrowly dodged Steel Wing, and raised his Attack power again! "Now, Fletchinder! Use Flame Charge!" The boy yelled. _"Flame Charge? That Attack can increase the speed of the user! I'll have to be careful!"_ Yuki thought. "Heracross! Swords Dance, once more!" Yuki shouted.

Heracross dodged Flame Charge and gained more Attack strength again! "Tch! Hold still, will you!? Now, Brave Bird!" The boy yelled. "Heracross, Megahorn!" Yuki shouted. Both Pokémon charged with their powerful attacks, colliding with each other! An explosion was made, causing both trainers and Hawlucha to cover their eyes for protection!

The smoke cleared, revealed that Fletchinder fainted! Heracross was barely standing, panting. "Wh-What!? No way! I lost!?" The youngster wailed. Yuki and Hawlucha ran over to Heracross, who smiled at them! "Thank you, Heracross. You did great in that battle. We're proud of you!" Yuki explained. "Lucha..." Hawlucha agreed, putting his hand onto Heracross' shoulder.

**Yuki: Winner!**

"No way! No way! I actually lost!? Argh! You just got lucky, that's all! I'll be back someday!" The boy snapped as he ran away. "Come back anytime." Yuki muttered, to which Hawlucha and Heracross snickered to this.

Later, Yuki trained with Hawlucha again, this time, with Heracross joining in the training! After that, the three were bruised once again, exhausted by the battling and the intense training. "Well, guys. I'm sure that this is enough for today! We'll be getting our first Kalos Badge for sure!" Yuki assured. Both Fighting Types agreed.

With that, Yuki returned Heracross to his Pokéball, and walked with Hawlucha out of the forest! They were close to Santalune City now. "Well, partner. We're almost there. To Santalune City." Yuki replied. "Lucha." Hawlucha agreed.

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Karate Chop, Double Team, Aerial Ace, Flying Press)**

**Heracross: (M): (Brick Break, Megahorn, Swords Dance, Protect)**


	2. Yuki VS Viola! The Santalune Gym!

**Chapter 2: Yuki VS Viola! The Santalune Gym!**

It was a new morning as Yuki and Hawlucha were napping in a field of grass, in a route to Santalune City! The two of them got up as they yawned. Yuki rubbed his eyes and looked at the Wrestling Pokémon, who yawned. "Morning, Hawlucha." Yuki called sleepily. "Haw..." Hawlucha agreed. Yesterday evening was a busy evening.

The two had to battle several trainers who wanted to have a battle with them! They won every battle, with Heracross, having some battles as well. Until then, the three were exhausted. So, Yuki planned to camp out in the grassy field to sleep, after bathing in the river.

Yuki put on his fingerless gloves on, and wore his dark blue jacket on. "Shall we be on our way, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked. "Haw!" Hawlucha nodded. With that, the two made their way to Santalune City for their first Gym battle! As they were walking, the two saw the news on Santalune TV!

"And so, a Garchomp was rampaging its way in Lumiose City, climbing onto the Prism Tower!" The news reporter explained. Yuki stopped to watch the news. "Just as we thought Garchomp couldn't be stopped, a boy with a Pikachu and a Froakie had saved the rampaging Garchomp and Lumiose City! Just as the rampage stopped, the boy with Pikachu fell off of Prism Tower!" The reporter explained.

Yuki widened his eyes at this. The boy fell OFF of Lumiose Tower!? "Luckily, a certain Pokémon, for we know, Mega Blaziken has rescued the boy and the Pikachu, taking them to safety. As for now, Lumiose City is now in peace, thanks to the boy with his Pikachu. We may not know his name, but the camera shows his description!" The reporter explained.

The camera zoomed in to see a boy with a Pikachu! The boy had brown eyes, black messy hair, a red cap, blue jacket, dark blue pants, red sneakers, and little zigzags in his cheeks! "So, that's the guy..." Yuki whispered. "Haw?" Hawlucha asked, tugging onto Yuki's jacket sleeve. "Hm? Oh, sorry, buddy. I was just distracted by the news." Yuki chuckled.

Hawlucha accepted the apology, and the two of them made their way to the Santalune Gym! "Excuse me, are you heading towards the Santalune Gym?" A woman's voice called out. Yuki turned to see a woman, riding on a Gogoat, who had a bag on her waist. She had light brown hair, and had a Helioptile on her shoulder! "Yes, I am." Yuki answered.

"Well, I just want to warn you that the Santalune Gym Leader is no pushover! She is really strong, you know." The woman explained. "I've heard. From the people in Aquacorde Town. Viola, she uses Bug Types, right?" Yuki asked, curious. "Yes she does! Well, I was about to see her, until you came by. Would it be alright if I watched your battle?" The woman asked.

Both Hawlucha and Yuki grew startled. Then, Yuki regained his senses and agreed. "Alright. It couldn't hurt for someone to watch our battle." Yuki agreed. "Lucha." Hawlucha replied.

"Perfect! Should we go in?" The woman asked. "Alright..." Yuki nodded. With that, the two, and Hawlucha went inside the Santalune Gym, where they saw a hall, filled with photos! "Hey! Sis! It's about time you got here!" Another woman called out. The two turned to see another woman, with blonde hair, white shirt, and a camera hanging on her neck!

"Sorry, Viola. I just arrived back from Decolore Islands!" The woman giggled. "Wait, sis?" Yuki repeated, bewildered. "Oh, that's right. I haven't told you, huh? I'm Alexa! And Viola here is my younger sister!" Alexa explained, feeling embarrassed. "And who is this?" Viola asked.

Yuki stepped forward and gulped. "My name is Yuki Muramoto. And I'm here for our first Gym battle!" Yuki explained. "Hawlucha!" Hawlucha agreed. "Oh, really? Well then! I accept your challenge, then! I'll see you at the battlefield. Come see me when you're ready." Viola giggled. She walked out of the hall, and headed towards where the battlefield is!

Yuki gave a sigh, to which Hawlucha noticed. "Haw?" Hawlucha asked, looking up at his best friend. "It's just that... I'm a bit nervous. Sure, we did have lots of tough battles. But, I sense that this battle will be tougher." Yuki explained. Alexa chuckled with the explanation.

"Well, like I said, my sister is no pushover. Many challengers are like this when they are having their first Gym battle!" Alexa explained. Yuki then shook his head and gave a deep breath. He then released it and sighed. "Alright then... Ready, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked the Wrestling Pokémon. "Cha." Hawlucha agreed.

With that, the two walked out of the hallway, and went to the battlefield. Yuki widened his eyes at the battlefield! "Whoa..." Yuki replied. The field had trees in the sidelines. The ceiling was visible, showing the sun and the sky! "So, how do you like the field?" Viola called out. Yuki turned to see Viola standing in her side of the battlefield. "I would call it nice, by the looks of it." Yuki admitted.

"Lucha." Hawlucha agreed. Alexa came by and watched in the sidelines, seeing the start of the battle! The referee took her place and began the announcement! "The Gym battle between Yuki, the challenger and Viola, the Santalune Gym Leader will now begin! Each side will have the use of two Pokémon! The battle will end when both of either trainer's Pokémon are unable to continue! Further, only the challenger may substitute Pokémon!" The referee announced.

_"This is it... Our first Gym battle!"_ Yuki thought. "Here we go! Surskit! Come on out!" Viola called. The Pond Skater Pokémon appeared, ready for battle. "Heracross, you're up first!" Yuki called. Heracross faced Surskit, ready for battle! "A Heracross, huh? That's pretty interesting!" Viola complimented. "So, let the battle begin!" The referee declared.

**Viola: Surskit + 1 VS Yuki: Heracross + 1**

"You may have the honors, Muramoto!" Viola smirked. Yuki sweated with this. "With pleasure! Heracross! Use Brick Break!" Yuki yelled. Heracross charged at Surskit with the Fighting Type move! "Surskit! Use Signal Beam!" Viola shouted.

Surskit shot a glowing beam towards the Single Horn Pokémon! "Quick, use Protect!" Yuki shouted. Heracross made a barrier, to negate Signal Beam! It then continued with Brick Break! "We'll use Protect as well!" Viola called. Surskit used her own Protect, guarding the Brick Break Attack! "Now, Heracross! Swords Dance, let's go!" Yuki cried.

Swords surrounded Heracross as his Attack strength increased! "No you don't! Surskit! Use Ice Beam!" Viola shouted. Surskit shot the Ice Type move, to which Heracross dodged! "You're gonna have to do better than that, Viola!" Yuki called. Viola only gave a smirk.

"It wasn't Heracross I was aiming for, but the field, I was!" Viola smirked. Yuki gasped to see the field covered in ice! Heracross found it hard to regain his balance. "What in the world is this tactic?!" Yuki snapped. "This is the Ice Field tactic! You're now Surskit's prey!" Viola sneered. Surskit began to skate around the trembling Heracross, who tried to get up!

"We'll take this chance! Surskit! Use Signal Beam!" Viola shouted. Surskit shot the glowing beam again! "Jump, Heracross! Then, use Megahorn!" Yuki called. Heracross narrowly dodged Signal Beam, and smashed Surskit with Megahorn! Viola grew surprised with this!

"Even with the Ice Field tactic, Heracross can still Attack!?" Viola gasped. "That's right! Now, Heracross! Use Brick Break!" Yuki called. Heracross aimed the Attack towards Surskit! Surskit countered with Protect, protecting her from the Fighting Type move! "Swords Dance, again, Heracross!" Yuki shouted. Swords clashed around Heracross as his strength increased again!

Viola gritted her teeth. _"At this rate, the more time I give, the more chance Heracross will get to increase its Attack strength!"_ Viola thought. "Heracross! Use Megahorn, now!" Yuki yelled. "Use Ice Beam, Surskit!" Viola shouted. Surskit shot Ice Beam on Heracross' Megahorn, which glowed even brighter! "What!?" Viola gasped.

"Thanks for the help, Viola! Now, Heracross! Use Ice Megahorn!" Yuki yelled. Heracross continued charging, and smashed Surskit into the wall! Surskit fainted! "Surskit, no!" Viola called. "Surskit is unable to battle! Heracross is the winner!" The referee declared.

**Viola: 1 Pokémon**

"One down! One to go!" Yuki smirked. Heracross smirked along! "Don't think this is over! You still have my other Pokémon to beat! Go! Vivillon!" Viola shouted. The big Pokémon that had wings appeared! "So, that's your ace Pokémon..." Yuki whispered. He took out Heracross' Pokéball! "Heracross, return!" Yuki called.

The Pokéball brought Heracross back to its ball! "Here goes! Are you ready, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked. Hawlucha nodded and flew into the battlefield! "Ooh, that's a stylish Hawlucha!" Viola complimented. Vivillon flew around, ready for battle! "We'll start! Hawlucha, use Karate Chop!" Yuki called.

"Vivillon! Use Psychic!" Viola called. Just as Hawlucha's Attack made contact, Hawlucha was forced to the icy ground! "What the!?" Yuki gasped. "Like that? Then, take a shot at this! Use Gust, Vivillon! Viola smirked. Vivillon blew the wind, causing Hawlucha to fly in the air! "Ride the wind, Hawlucha! Then, use Aerial Ace!" Yuki called. Hawlucha nodded and rode the wind! "Now, Vivillon! Solarbeam!" Viola shouted.

"Solarbeam!?" Yuki gasped. "You're wide open now! It's time for the perfect shot!" Viola smirked. Vivillon charged its attack and shot the beam at the flying Wrestling Pokémon! "Dodge with Double Team, Hawlucha!" Yuki called.

Hawlucha created clones, confusing Vivillon! The Solarbeam missed! "No! And just as the shot was perfect...!" Viola grunted. "Now, Hawlucha! Continue with Aerial Ace!" Yuki called. Hawlucha flew in the air and slashed Vivillon with the strong Flying Type move! "Nice shot! But not good enough! Sleeping Powder, Vivillon!" Viola called.

Vivillon blew green poweder towards Hawlucha! "Hawlucha! Flying Press!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha flew into the sky and dove down! The wind from the dive blew the Sleeping Powder away! "In that case, Vivillon! Use Gust!" Viola called. Vivillon blew strong winds to negate the Flying Press Attack! "Huff... Huff... Hawlucha! Use Karate Chop, again!" Yuki called.

"Vivillon! Use Psychic!" Viola called. Vivillon shot the beam at Hawlucha, who dodged it! "Hit it, Hawlucha! Karate Chop!" Yuki shouted. The Attack bashed Vivillon as she staggered her way into the air!

"No... I can't lose! Vivillon! Use Sleeping Powder!" Viola called. "Flying Press again!" Yuki shouted. The Attack again blew the powder away! Viola saw her chance of a counterattack! "Now, Vivillon! Use Solarbeam! A perfect shot!" Viola called. She used her hands to create a camera sign!

Vivillon shot the beam towards Hawlucha, who took a big hit! Hawlucha landed on the ground, groaning. "No, Hawlucha!" Yuki gasped. "Time for the finishing shot! Vivillon! Solarbeam again!" Viola called. As Vivillon began charging, Hawlucha struggled to get back up! "You can do it, Hawlucha! I know you can! We can't lose! Now or never!" Yuki yelled.

The words of encouragement brought Hawlucha back up to his feet! When that happened, Vivillon shot the powerful Grass Type move! "Dodge it, Hawlucha! Then, use Flying Press!" Yuki called. Hawlucha dodged Solarbeam, then flew in the air! "The same shot will happen again! Use Gust, Vivillon!" Viola called.

Vivillon blew the Flying Type Attack towards Hawlucha! The Flying Press began to stagger! "Concentrate, Hawlucha! Focus! Once that's done! Nothing's stopping us!" Yuki called. Hawlucha closed his eyes and focused on targeting Vivillon! "Vivillon! Use Psychic, now!" Viola called. "Do it, Hawlucha!" Yuki shouted, pumping his fist in the air.

Hawlucha nodded and smashed Vivillon on the ground! The evolved Bug Type lost her focus on Psychic and failed to stop Hawlucha! The field exploded with the two smashing in the icy ground! Both trainers covered their eyes to protect themselves from the shards of ice that was coming to their way!

Alexa, Viola, Yuki, and the referee looked to see both Hawlucha and Vivillon on the ground! Hawlucha slowly got up, panting with exhaustion! Vivillon didn't move, however, groaning from the intense blow it had from Flying Press! "Vivillon is unable to battle! Hawlucha is the winner! So, the victor goes to the challenger!" The referee declared.

**Yuki: Winner!**

"Alright! We did it, Hawlucha!" Yuki called. Hawlucha flew over to Yuki and the two gave each other a warming hug. Viola returned Vivillon to her Pokéball, and sighed. "I guess that's it. I lost." Viola sighed. Alexa walked over to Viola and smiled. "What do you think now? You, at first thought it was going to be easy, right?" Alexa asked.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. But, after seeing Yuki's two Pokémon, I guess I was wrong." Viola admitted. The two sisters walked over to Yuki and Hawlucha, which they stopped the hugging. "Yuki, I'm very impressed with your skills and your battling styles with your Pokémon! And with that, I give you the Bug Badge!" Viola replied. She gave Yuki a badge that looked like a ladybug with green spots on the back!

"Thank you, Viola!" Yuki thanked. He looked at the shiny badge, and grinned. "This is it, Hawlucha! It's our first Kalos Badge!" Yuki grinned, showing the badge to Hawlucha. "Lucha!" Hawlucha grinned, proud of himself. "Do you have a Badge Case?" Alexa asked. "Badge Case?" Yuki asked. Then, he gasped.

"Agh, no! I forgot to register for the Kalos League at the Pokémon Center!" Yuki moaned. Hawlucha calmed him down with a pat on his shoulder. "Ha ha. I guess our forgetting is the same thing, huh?" Alexa giggled. "*sigh*... Honestly... I wished that some people don't forget things that they need..." Viola sighed with disappointment.

**Later...**

"Nurse Joy? May I sign up for the Kalos League?" Yuki asked. "Sure thing! Do you have a Pokédex?" Nurse Joy asked. Yuki turned pale with this. "Pokédex?... Oh no. I was heading to Lumiose City to see the Professor, when I challenged the Santalune Gym..." Yuki explained, sighing. Hawlucha followed along with his sigh as well.

Nurse Joy smiled with this. "It's alright! You can still sign up as long as you sign up here!" Nurse Joy explained. She gestured to the screen below her desk. "All you need to do is to write your name, your hometown, and your info!" Nurse Joy explained. "Okay..." Yuki sighed. He typed up the information he needed to write.

_Name: Yuki Muramoto_

_Age: 10 _

_Gender: Male_

_Hometown: Aquacorde Town, Kalos_

_Current Pokémon: Hawlucha, Heracross_

"Is this okay?" Yuki asked, as he submitted his information. Nurse Joy checked the submitted information in her computer! "Alright! You're all set!" Nurse Joy giggled. With that, Nurse Joy's Wigglytuff came by and handed Yuki a Badge Case! "Thanks, Wigglytuff!" Yuki thanked, accepting the case. He placed his Bug Badge into the Badge Case.

"Only seven more, before we can enter the Kalos League!" Yuki replied to Hawlucha. "Hawlucha!" Hawlucha agreed.

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Karate Chop, Double Team, Aerial Ace)**

**Heracross: (M): (Protect, Megahorn, Swords Dance, Brick Break)**


	3. The Professor's Request!

**Chapter 3: The Professor's Request!**

"If you want, you could always stay in Santalune City for a while, Yuki." Alexa explained. Alexa was having a conversation with Yuki, who had won his Bug Badge from the Santalune Gym yesterday against Viola with Hawlucha and Heracross.

"I guess it's a good idea... But, I have to see Professor Sycamore about something. He like, has a task for me. So, I can't just stay here and expect him to come to me." Yuki explained. "I understand that. But, I'm sure a friend of mine from Kanto will come by in Santalune!" Alexa explained. "From Kanto?" Yuki asked, widening his eyes a little.

"Yes! His name is Ash. People say that he traveled in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and in Unova! And right now, he's in Kalos, coming to Santalune City soon for his first Gym battle here!" Alexa explained. Yuki choked on his orange juice and thought about the boy. _"Could it have been the boy with a Pikachu, on the Lumiose News?"_ Yuki thought. He looked over to Hawlucha.

"What do you think?" Yuki asked. "Haw." Hawlucha answered, shrugging. That gave Yuki a sigh. "Oh well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to see Ash." Yuki replied, finally agreeing to the plan. "Perfect! I'll tell you when he's here, okay?" Alexa exclaimed. She got off her seat and headed back to the Santalune Gym to see Viola. Yuki sweat dropped with this. No wonder Alexa was so excited about seeing Ash again.

Just then, the two heard a shriek! Both Yuki and Hawlucha turned to see a little Pokémon attacking a store's fruit basket! It had a brown body, big ears, little red tuft on hair, and a short tail! "A Litleo? What is it doing here in Santalune?" Yuki wondered. "Lucha." Hawlucha agreed. "Give that back, you thief!" A woman demanded.

Litleo only snickered and ran away with a scarf in its mouth! It headed straight towards Yuki and Hawlucha! "Should we stop it?" Yuki asked. Hawlucha gave a nod and got ready into a battle stance! "Hawlucha! Aerial Ace!" Yuki yelled. Hawlucha sped towards Litleo, who didn't notice Hawlucha! The Wrestling Pokémon then slashed Litleo towards the ground!

Litleo yelped in pain as it let go of the scarf! "Oh my! Thank you!" The woman sighed in relief. She took the scarf quickly and ran off. Litleo groaned as it got up and growled at the two fighters! "You can't expect us to just let you get away with your thieving." Yuki muttered. "Lucha! Haw!" Hawlucha snapped.

"Lit!" Litleo snapped. It got ready for a battle! "You asked for this! Hawlucha! Aerial Ace again!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha ran towards Litleo and aimed the same Attack! Litleo leapt in the air and dodged it! Litleo countered with Ember! Hawlucha quickly dodged and got ready for the next move!

"Now, Hawlucha! Use Karate Chop!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha charged at the Fire Type and bashed his arm towards Litleo, sending him to the ground! Litleo recovered and charged towards Hawlucha! It was using Take Down! "Dodge, then Karate Chop!" Yuki called. Hawlucha swiftly dodged Take Down and chopped Litleo to the ground! Litleo got up slowly, before growling.

_"This Litleo is a stubborn one! I like the little guy' style..."_ Yuki smirked in thought. Litleo charged for a Headbutt! "Hawlucha! Intercept with Flying Press!" Yuki yelled. Hawlucha leapt high into the air and flew rapidly towards Litleo! Litleo grew startled as it was smashed to the ground by the Flying Press Attack!

As Hawlucha released Litleo, Litleo had swirls in its eyes! Litleo fainted! "Lucha! Haw!" Hawlucha called. Yuki nodded and took out his third Pokéball! "Go! Pokéball!" Yuki shouted. The ball hit Litleo and sucked it inside! The ball shook several times, before stopping, proving that Yuki had caught Litleo!

Yuki took the Pokéball and sent out Litleo, who ruffled its fur! "I hope that you learned your lesson about stealing, Litleo... Trouble will always come to you the more you do these things." Yuki explained, folding his arms. Litleo snorted and turned its head away! "Oy... This could leave a mark..." Yuki muttered, sighing.

"Excuse me." A voice called.

"Yes?" Yuki called turning. He saw a girl with a pink hat, red skirt, black sleeveless shirt, and a blonde hair. "Do you know where the Santalune Gym is?" The girl asked. "Uh, yes. Why?" Yuki asked. "Well, you see, a childhood friend of mine is heading towards the Gym for his first badge, so..." The girl explained.

"Childhood friend?... What's his name?" Yuki asked. "Oh! His name is Ash! Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" The girl answered, smiling. Yuki perked his head up and grew startled. "Ash? Well, I've heard about him... But, he's not here yet.." Yuki explained, rubbing the back of his head. The girl looked disappointed. "I see..." The girl sighed. "Oh, by the way, the name's Yuki. Yours?" Yuki asked.

"My name is Serena! Nice to meet you, Yu- Huh?" Serena started, but stopped. She turned to see Hawlucha, standing next to his trainer! Serena gave out a small gasp. "What?" Yuki asked.

"A-Are you that boy, who everyone calls... The Hawlucha Boy? The boy who battles with his Hawlucha?" Serena asked. Yuki sighs and rubs the back of his head. "That's me. What about it?" Yuki answered. Serena gave a smile and giggled. "Oh wow! I can't believe I'm seeing you like this! You're pretty famous in Aquacorde and Vaniville Town!" Serena exclaimed.

Yuki lightly blushes, pretending not to care. "Me? Famous... Geez..." Yuki muttered. A sharp growl grabbed the two's attention! Both trainers turned to see Litleo, who seemed to be trying to get Yuki's attention! "What?" Yuki asked. Litleo barked and motioned him to bring it on! "What. Another battle?" Yuki asked.

Litleo forcefully nodded and got ready for one! "Is that your Litleo?" Serena asked. "Yes. But it's pretty stubborn..." Yuki answered, sighing. He turned to Hawlucha, who gave a nod and ran to face the Lion Cub Pokémon! "Lit! Litleo!" Litleo growled. "You asked for this, Litleo." Yuki sighed. Hawlucha nodded and waited.

Litleo growled and charged for Hawlucha! It was Headbutt! "Hawlucha! Dodge it!" Yuki yelled. Hawlucha rapidly dodged Litleo, amazing Serena. "Wow! That's fast!" Serena exclaimed. "Haw! Lucha!" Hawlucha smirked, bragging about himself. That ticked Litleo off as it ran for a Take Down Attack! "Dodge it again, Hawlucha! Then, use Aerial Ace!" Yuki shouted.

Hawlucha once again dodged Litleo's Attack and slashed Litleo towards the air! Litleo landed on the ground and immediately recovered. "Hawlucha! Karate Chop, let's go!" Yuki yelled. Hawlucha flew towards Litleo for the Attack! Litleo countered with Ember, to which Hawlucha dodged and smashed his Attack on the Fire-Normal Type!

Litleo skidded on the ground, before attacking with Ember once again! Hawlucha only took a few hits, but didn't seem to be hurt! "Amazing! Hawlucha took the Attack, and didn't seem to feel it much!" Serena exclaimed. "Hawlucha and I trained on to endure attacks, even if it should hurt a lot." Yuki explained.

Yuki then ordered for a Flying Press! Litleo attacked with Headbutt, but got smashed on the ground by the Flying Press Attack! Litleo fainted! Yuki ran over to check on Litleo. "Hey, Litleo. You okay?" Yuki asked. Litleo whimpered and turned its head away.

"Geez... At least let me be concerned for you!" Yuki groaned. Serena ran over to check both Yuki and Litleo, until she noticed Litleo's stubbornness! "Geez. This Litleo sure is stubborn, isn't it?" Serena asked, giggling by its attitude.

She took out her Kalos Pokédex and scanned Litleo. _"Litleo, the Lion Cub Pokémon. They set off on their own from their pride and live by themselves to grow stronger. These hot-blooded Pokémon are quick to fight."_ Serena's Pokédex buzzed. Yuki turned to see the Pokédex from her hands! "Is that..." Yuki started. "Right! It's a Kalos Pokédex! I got it from Professor Sycamore who gave me Fennekin!" Serena explained.

"Sycamore... Huh." Yuki whispered, before turning back to Litleo. Litleo was snoring in his arms, cuddling close to him! "Aw! It's so cute!" Serena squealed. Yuki sweat dropped by the reaction. "It's rather tough in battles than cute..." Yuki muttered.

Yuki got up and returned Litleo back to his Pokéball. "Serena, you're a Pokémon Trainer too, aren't you?" Yuki asked, turning to the girl. "Y-Yes. Why?" Serena asked. "I'd like to see how well you'd do in battle, right now." Yuki answered, turning to face her. Hawlucha got ready in a battle stance! "A battle...? I don't know..." Serena replied sadly.

"If you haven't battled, then this is the perfect chance to test your skills." Yuki explained. Serena gulped and nodded with hesitation. "Okay... Come on out, Fennekin!" Serena shouted. The Fire Type starter appeared from her Pokéball! "Fennekin, this'll be our first trainer battle! Let's make this count, okay?" Serena explained.

"Kin!" Fennekin agreed. It then turned to face Hawlucha! Yuki smirked and prepared for battle as well. "Alright then. Let's go!" Yuki called.

**Serena: Fennekin VS Yuki: Hawlucha**

"Fennekin! Use Ember!" Serena called. Fennekin charged at Hawlucha and spouted out Ember! "Dodge it, Hawlucha!" Yuki called. Hawlucha quickly dodged the Attack, and leapt to the air! Just as Yuki called out another move, Litleo's Pokéball opened, and revealed itself outside! "What is it, now?" Yuki asked.

"Lit! Lit! Leo!" Litleo explained. "Seems to me that Litleo wants to see the battle!" Serena giggled. As Yuki turned back to Litleo, the Lion Cub nodded in agreement. "Alright then. Watch how the battle goes, then." Yuki smirked. Hawlucha flew in the air, flying circles around Fennekin!

"Fennekin, use Ember, again!" Serena shouted. Ember was struck towards Hawlucha, who dodged them all again! "Firing attacks without an aim is pointless. Hawlucha, Aerial Ace!" Yuki shouted. "Dodge it, Fennekin!" Serena called. Fennekin attempted to dodge the Attack, until Hawlucha startle her and slashed her in the air!

"Fennekin!" Serena gasped. "Now, Hawlucha! Double Team! Then, Karate Chop!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha created clones of itself! All the clones dove down, striking Fennekin over and over again! "Oh no!" Serena gasped.

As the smoke cleared, Hawlucha was standing without a scratch. Fennekin groaned as she fainted from all the multiple attacks! "Looks like we win." Yuki smirked. "Lucha." Hawlucha agreed.

**Yuki: Winner!**

Serena ran over to Fennekin and checked her out. "Fennekin, are you alright?" Serena asked. "Fen..." Fennekin groaned. "Oh man... We didn't stand a chance..." Serena whispered. Yuki, Hawlucha, and Litleo walked over to see Serena. "Let's take Fennekin to the Pokémon Center. She'll be okay there." Yuki suggested. Serena agreed to this. "Right." Serena replied.

**Later...**

"Here you go! Fennekin is feeling much better now!" Nurse Joy exclaimed. "Thank you, Nurse Joy!" Serena thanked, taking Fennekin's Pokéball and putting it in her purse.

Meanwhile, Yuki was making a call to Lumiose City, to call Professor Sycamore. He waited and waited until he heard someone pick up! "Hello? Is this Professor Sycamore?" Yuki called, wondering. "That's me, alright! And who is this?" Sycamore asked, seeing Yuki.

"It's me, Professor. Yuki Muramoto. The boy with the Hawlucha." Yuki answered, smiling to see the Kalos Professor. Sycamore gave a small smile and chuckled. "Well! It seems you've gotten my letter! It's great to meet you, Yuki." Sycamore chuckled. "Same here, Professor... Now, what's this about a task?" Yuki agreed.

Sycamore smiled and explained. "Well, you see. I've heard about you from the citizens of Aquacorde Town. That's when I thought... You would be able to do something for me. And, that is to help me with the Pokédex!" Sycamore explained. "Pokédex? You mean, to send me on a journey?" Yuki asked.

"Correct! Two of the trainers agreed to it, already. So, when I heard about you, I thought you could help me out on my research! So. How about it, Yuki?" Sycamore asked. Yuki thought about it for a moment, before coming to the important decision. He gave a sigh and smiled.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to help the Kalos Professor. And I did wanted to go out on a journey to do so." Yuki smirked. He looked up at the Professor in the screen. "So, yes. I will accept your request, Professor Sycamore." Yuki agreed. "Bien! Then, I'll send you the Kalos Pokédex right away! It'll be just a moment..." Sycamore chuckled.

He inserted something into the phone, and sent it to Yuki! Yuki saw the small device, similar to the one Serena had. "I got it, Professor." Yuki replied. "Good! I'll be expecting to see you in person in Lumiose City! Come by and visit anytime!" Sycamore exclaimed, waving by. "Right." Yuki agreed. With that, the Kalos Professor had shut down the phone screen.

"Haw?" Hawlucha asked, staring at the Pokédex. "Hawlucha. Can you guess what this means to us?" Yuki asked. When Hawlucha cocked his head, showing that he didn't know, his best friend answered for him. "This means that the start of our journey starts right now!" Yuki giggled. "Lucha! Haw!" Hawlucha exclaimed, clearly excited about this.

"Hey! Yuki!" Serena called. Yuki turned to see Serena running towards him and Hawlucha!

"Fennekin is all better now... Hm? Wait... Is that..." Serena started, but stopped when she spotted Yuki's new Pokédex. Yuki smirked as he showed the device to Serena! "Yes. I just got this from a Professor Sycamore!" Yuki explained. Serena grew surprised with this!

"Wow! So, that means... You get to go on a journey!" Serena shrieked with delight. I guess so..." Yuki chuckled, blushing lightly. Just then, there was a beeping noise from Yuki's jacket pocket. He picked it out. It was the Holo Caster, a contact phone he got from Alexa after his Gym battle. "Who could it be?" Serena asked.

Yuki shrugged and opened it, revealing a familiar figure from the hologram screen! "Hey, Yuki! How are you right now?" Alexa asked, smiling. "Good right now, Alexa. So, why are you calling right now?" Yuki asked. "He came! The person I was talking about? Ash came to the Santalune Gym! He's here right now!" Alexa explained. Both Yuki and Serena widened their eyes.

"Wait, Ash!? Is he there!?" Serena shrieked. "Hm? Who's this?" Alexa asked, surprised to see Serena. "This is Serena. She's from Vaniville Town, a starting trainer." Yuki answered. "I see. Well, the more, the merrier!" Alexa giggled. Alexa then turned back to Yuki. "Well, I thought you might want to meet him, so that's why I called! He's about to challenge the Santalune Gym right now!" Alexa explained.

Yuki nodded and smirked. "Alright. I'll be heading to the Gym right now. I'll see you there." Yuki replied. Alexa agreed to it and shut down her Holo Caster. The hologram disappeared, with Yuki pocketing it. "Shall we go, then, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked his partner.

"Haw!" Hawlucha agreed. The two were about to leave, until Serena stopped them! "Wait! I'm going with you!" Serena demanded. The Aquacorde trainer grew confused as he turned to Serena. "Why?" Yuki asked, wondering.

"Well, I said before, Ash was my childhood friend. So... I think that it was about time that I see him again. So, I want to see his Gym battle..." Serena started to explain, before Yuki interrupted her! "Sure! If Ash is that important to you, then it's fine with me!" Yuki chuckled. "Lucha! Haw!" Hawlucha agree. Serena signed with relief.

"Thanks." Serena thanked. With that, the two trainers and Hawlucha left the Pokémon Center to head to the Santalune Gym! There, both Yuki and Serena might have a chance of meeting Ash. What will they know if they head there? Stay tuned for some more!

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Double Team)**

**Heracross: (M): (Protect, Megahorn, Brick Break, Swords Dance)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Take Down, Headbutt, Tackle)**


	4. Training For A Rematch!

**Chapter 4: Training For A Rematch!**

"Huff... Huff... I know he's in there now!" Serena panted. "That's because Alexa told us, otherwise we wouldn't know that he'd be there now!" Yuki muttered. Both Yuki and Serena were running towards the Santalune Gym in order to see Serena's childhood friend, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town.

Last chapter, Alexa had explained to the two trainers that Ash was in the Santalune Gym now, challenging Viola for his first Kalos badge. For a strange reason, Serena grew very excited when hearing Ash was in Santalune City. That was when Yuki also planned to meet the Kanto trainer as well.

"Come on, Yuki! Hurry up! He's gonna be surprised after all this time!" Serena giggled. The two trainers kept running, with Hawlucha running on Yuki's side! "But, don't you think after all these years, he might not remember you?" Yuki asked, while running. "Well, I'm not sure... But, I do wonder how he'll react when he sees me, though! I can't wait to find out!" Serena giggled.

Both Yuki and Hawlucha sweat dropped. "You don't know, huh..." Yuki muttered, slowing his run. "Haw..." Hawlucha groaned, face palming. "Come on! Let's go!" Serena called. "Fine! Fine! I'm coming!" Yuki sighed annoyingly. The two trainers ran to the Santalune Gym, and opened the door! "Alexa! Are you here?" Yuki called. There was no answer.

Just then, there was a crash on the other side of the door! "What was that!?" Serena gasped. "It must be Viola battling someone. I think it's someone we know." Yuki answered. He and Hawlucha walked over to where the battlefield door is. Yuki opened the door, allowing Hawlucha, Serena, and himself enter the battlefield.

Yuki turned to see that he was right. There was a Gym battle going on. Viola's Surskit was facing off against a boy's Fletchling! Serena looked close to see the boy! "There he is! It's Ash!" Serena exclaimed. She ran towards Ash, until she was stopped by Alexa! "Ah! Serena! Yuki! Can I help you too?" Alexa called.

Serena was about to answer, when Yuki answered it for her! "We were wondering if we could watch Ash's Gym battle as well." Yuki explained. "Lucha! Haw!" Hawlucha agreed. "Of course! That would be just fine! Welcome, you two!" Alexa welcomed. "Why don't you two join us over here?" Another boy suggested.

This boy had blonde hair, a pair of glasses, a big backpack, and a yellow and light blue clothing! Besides him was a little girl with the same blonde hair, with a little yellow bag, containing a Dedenne inside! "Yeah! It's getting real good!" The little girl called over. Both Yuki and Serena smiled. "That's so nice of you! Thanks!" Serena thanked.

Yuki nodded as he and Serena watched at the sidelines with the three. Back at the battle, Ash was using his Fletchling against Viola's Surskit! "Okay, Fletchling! Peck, let's go!" Ash shouted. Fletchling's beak glowed as she charged at the Pond Skater Pokémon! "Quick! Dodge it!" Viola called.

Surskit skated in the ice to dodge the Flying Type Attack! "Now! Use Ice Beam!" Viola called. Surskit immediately shot the Ice Type attack towards the Flying Type! "Dodge it!" Ash called. With a swift flying, Fletchling managed to dodge the Ice Beam Attack! "Awesome!" Serena exclaimed. "Yeah! Go for it, Fletchling!" The little girl cheered.

Yuki smirked to see how well Ash was battling. "He's not bad, for sure." Yuki whispered to himself. But, to Viola, she wasn't just about to give up yet. "Surskit! Use Sticky Web, go!" Viola called. "Fletchling! Use Double Team!" Ash shouted. As Surskit shot the Sticky Web Attack, Fletchling managed to dodge it all with Double Team! "It dodged them all!" The boy stated.

"Alright! Attack, attack, attack!" The little girl squealed out loud. "Alright, Fletchling! Use Razor Wind!" Ash shouted. "Fletchling's wings glowed as she sent the Razor Wind Attack towards Surskit! It made a direct hit on the Pond Skater Pokémon! "Ah!" Viola gasped. As the most cleared, Surskit fainted, with swirls in her eyes!

"Surskit is unable to battle! Fletchling wins!" The referee declared.

**Viola: 1 Pokémon**

"Alright!" Ash exclaimed happily. Fletchling flew around happily for her first battle victory! "Alright!" Serena, the boy, and the little girl exclaimed. "Yes!" Yuki replied with a grin. "Hawlucha!" Hawlucha replied with a smile. The little girl turned to both Yuki and Serena in an excited tone.

"Did you see how awesome Ash battled?" The little girl asked happily. Serena nodded happily along. "I sure did!" Serena agreed. "Now, both sides have one Pokémon left!" The boy stated, looking at both sides. At the battlefield, Ash gave a smirk. "Time to beat your other Pokémon, and get my hands on my first Kalos Gym Badge!" Ash grinned.

Viola frowned at Ash as she took out another Pokéball. "It's not gonna be that easy! My Gym Leader pride's on the line! Let's do this, Vivillon!" Viola called. The evolved Bug Type appeared, spreading her wings for battle! "That's it. That's Viola's ace Pokémon!" Yuki stated, startling Serena, and the two kids. "Who's that Pokémon?" Ash asked, checking his Pokédex.

_"Vivillon, the Scale Pokémon. Vivillon are skillfully able to find the source of water. It has been said it'll find a spring if you follow a Vivillon." _Ash's Pokédex buzzed. Ash put his Pokédex back in his pocket and smiled. "Alright, Fletchling! Peck!" Ash shouted. Fletchling flew up in the air and made a dive for Vivillon.

"See? Flying Type moves are super effective against Vivillon!" The boy with glasses stated with a smile. "Don't do it! It's a trap!" Yuki warned loudly. Ash grew startled, with the others following along. Unfortunately, it was too late. "Vivillon, use Psychic!" Viola called. The Scale Pokémon's eyes glowed as it began to control Fletchling!

Fletchling began to chirp in pain as it was forced back into the air. Ash grew bewildered with this. "What... Happened?" Ash asked, sweating. "Since I've made an Ice battlefield, I want you to experience on what's it all about!" Viola smirked. With that, Vivillon forced Fletchling on the ground, as the Tiny Robin Pokémon smashed on the icy ground.

"Fletchling!" Ash gasped, calling out for his Flying Type. Everyone, including Yuki and Hawlucha gasped. _"This isn't good... If this keeps up...!"_ Yuki thought, sweating. "Fletchling! Are you okay!? Can you still fly?!" Ash called out. The Tiny Robin Pokémon slowly nodded as it kept flying in the air!

"Use Gust!" Viola ordered. Vivillon blew a strong wind from her wings as she blew Fletchling away, into a group of Sticky Webs! "Fletchling!" Ash called out, surprised. "It's stuck on that Sticky Web!" The boy stated, gasping. "It must be from the Surskit's Sticky Web, when Fletchling dodged it!" Yuki guessed. Serena looked at Yuki in sadness.

"Break free! You can do it, Fletchling!" Ash encouraged. But, no matter how hard Ash cheered, Fletchling was hopeless as it tried to struggle to the sticky webs on its wings. "A perfect picture opportunity! Vivillon, Solarbeam!" Viola yelled, creating a camera sign with her hands.

Vivillon instantly gained energy from the sun as she blasted the Solarbeam Attack towards the helpless Fletchling. An explosion occurred as Fletchling fell down on the icy ground. Fletchling fainted! "Fletchling is unable to battle! Vivillon wins! Which means the victor is Viola, the Gym Leader!" The referee declared.

**Viola: Winner!**

Ash ran over to the injured Flying Type as he held it in his arms. "Fletchling! Are you okay?" Ash asked, looking at the bruised Flying Type. The boy and the little girl ran towards the fallen Pallet Town trainer and his two fallen Pokémon. "Ash!" The two called, running to him. The two brought the injured Pikachu over.

Yuki noticed the scared and depressed look that was on Ash's face. Ash then stood up and glanced at Viola. "I know I lost. But... I'll come back here, stronger! And when I do, I hope you'll let me have a rematch!" Ash called out to the Santalune Gym Leader. Viola only gave a smile and a wave to Ash.

"Come back anytime! I'll be waiting." Viola promised. Ash nodded as he, and the two kids ran out of the battlefield, and out of the Gym. "Ash..." Serena whispered. Both Yuki and Hawlucha gave a sigh, until Hawlucha noticed a backpack lying on the bench. "Lucha! Haw!" Hawlucha called, tugging on Yuki's jacket sleeve.

Yuki gave Hawlucha his attention, and noticed the green backpack on the bench. "He left this behind while in a hurry..." Yuki replied, holding the backpack. Serena came over and took the backpack. "I'll give it to him... Once he's feeling okay..." Serena assured, smiling sadly. Yuki nodded in agreement. "Please do." Yuki called.

Serena nodded as she also ran out of the Gym to find Ash. Yuki gave a sigh and looked at Hawlucha, and rubbed his head. "Looks like we'll just have to wait a little longer." Yuki muttered. "Lucha..." Hawlucha agreed, folding his arms.

"In the meantime, why don't you go with them?" Alexa suggested. Yuki turned to Alexa and grew a little confused. "I don't think you've introduced yourself to those three yet, didn't you?" Alexa asked. Yuki closed his eyes and gave a small smile. "I guess not. I was too focused on Ash's battle that I forgot to introduce myself..." Yuki replied with a sigh.

Viola came over and made a smile as well. "Well, you might as well go after them! Maybe you could learn from those three!" Viola explained. Both Hawlucha and Yuki nodded as they walked out of the field. "I'll do that." Yuki stated. "Haw!" Hawlucha replied. With that, the two left the Gym to go after Serena.

Later, the Aquacorde boy found Serena heading to the Pokémon Center's outdoor battlefield, waking towards Ash. She seemed to have noticed that Ash was in a very depressive state, by his loss against Viola. "*sigh* This may work out well..." Yuki muttered. "Hawlucha." Hawlucha agreed, rubbing the back of his head.

The two walked towards where the four kids where as they got close, until the little girl noticed Yuki and Hawlucha. "Oh, it's you! You're that guy from before as well!" The little girl squealed happily. "From before?" Ash repeated, confused. "The two of them were standing next tous during your Gym battle!" The boy with the glasses explained.

"My name is Bonnie! And this is my brother!" The little girl replied, introducing herself and her older brother. "My name's Clemont!" Clemont explained. "And say hello to Dedenne!" Bonnie added, gesturing to her Electric-Fairy Type Pokémon. "Ded Dedenne!" Dedenne squeaked. "Nice to meet you!" Serena giggled.

"Good to meet you as well." Yuki agreed with a smile. "Lucha!" Hawlucha replied, smiling. "Well, what do you know? Sorry, I was so into battling Viola that I didn't see the two of you there." Ash apologized, feeling silly. "It's okay!" Serena assured. "My name's Ash!" Ash explained. "We know. Serena's my name!" Serena explained. "And I'm Yuki, this is Hawlucha." Yuki explained.

He introduced himself and his Wrestling Pokémon. "Lucha." Hawlucha replied, greeting the three. Serena gulped and began to ask the Kanto trainer. "Do you remember... Huh?" Serena started, but stopped when there was a sound. Everyone turned to see that it was coming from the Pokémon Center.

Everyone then headed to the Pokémon Center, to see Pikachu and Fletchling with Nurse Joy! "Thank you for waiting! Your Pikachu and Fletchling are full recover, and are feeling much better now!" Nurse Joy explained. Ash grew brightened as Pikachu jumped towards Ash's arms and when Fletchling perched onto Ash's right shoulder.

"That's great! Thanks so much, Nurse Joy!" Ash thanked. "With great pleasure!" Nurse Joy giggled. "Wigglytuff!" Nurse Joy's assistant, Wigglytuff agreed. Ash then turned to Yuki and Serena, introducing his Pokémon to them. "Pikachu, Fletchling! This is Serena. And this is Yuki! They were with Clemont and Bonnie while they were watching us battle!" Ash explained.

"Pika Pika!" "Fletch Fletch Fletchling!" The two said hi to the two trainers. "Hi, you two! It's nice to meet you!" Serena exclaimed happily. "It's good to meet you as well." Yuki replied. "Lucha!" Hawlucha agreed with a nod. Then, Serena grew surprised to see Nurse Joy.

"By the way, Nurse Joy! How did you get here from Route 4 without passing me?" Serena asked. Nurse Joy grew confused, until Ash piped it up. "But, is that the Nurse Joy you've met there?" Ash grinned. "It couldn't be! I think the Nurse Joy on Route 4 was my cousin!" Nurse Joy explained, smiling brightly. That caused both Serena and Yuki to be surprised.

"Your cousin?" The two repeated in a surprise matter. "I knew it." Ash replied, sounding like he knew already. Nurse Joy then took out a photo, which showed a whole bunch of Nurse Joys. "Here's a picture of me and my cousins during our Kalos region nursing workshop!" Nurse Joy explained.

"Wow! It's the same in Kalos, too!" Ash beamed. "Incredible..." Serena stated. "I never thought it'd work that way..." Yuki admitted. "Lucha..." Hawlucha agreed, surprised as well. Serena suddenly remembered something as she took out her Pokéball. "I was hoping you'd look at my Pokémon, too!" Serena explained.

She opened the ball, revealing it to be Fennekin! "Fennekin!" The Pokémon called. Yuki grew surprised while Ash took out his Pokédex. "Whoa. Never seen this Pokémon before." Ash replied. _"Fennekin, the Fox Pokémon. Fennekin expels hot air that can reach nearly 400 degrees. It likes to snack on twigs."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

Bonnie touched Fennekin's nose, causing Fennekin to sneeze. Fennekin covered her mouth with her paw in embarassment. "I guess it's a Fire Type Pokémon, right?" Ash asked, putting his Pokédex away. "And it's so cute!" Bonnie squealed. "One of the starters of Professor Sycamore..." Yuki added.

"Yeah! I got it from Professor Sycamore!" Serena explained. "Professor Sycamore, huh?" Ash asked, curious. "You see, Fennekin is one of Prof. Sycamore's three Pokémon that new trainers may choose from! Therefore, I can deduce that you're a new trainer!" Clemont explained, flashing his glasses.

Serena smiled and nodded. "Right! I just started my journey!" Serena explained. Nurse Joy smiled at the Vaniville girl. "I'll be happy to look at Fennekin! Please wait right here while I perform a thorough exam!" Nurse Joy explained. "Wigglytuff!" Wigglytuff agreed with a nod.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy!" Serena thanked, bowing down. Just then, the sliding doors opened up, revealing Alexa. "Ash!" Alexa called. Everyone turned to see the Kalos journalist coming in. "Alexa!" Ash called, smiling at his friend. Alexa smiled and walked over.

"It looks like Pikachu and Fletchling are fully recovered! Let me guess! You're gonna start training right away?" Alexa asked. Ash grinned and made a determined fist. "Of course I am! You want to help me out?" Ash asked. "Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed, feeling determined as well.

Yuki smiled lightly at the two's determination. He knew that this trainer was going to be interesting in Kalos.

**Outside**

Ash and Alexa prepared to have a practice battle. Both Pikachu and Fletchling had a balloon tied to them for the battle. Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie watched at the sidelines. Alexa took out a Pokéball and smirked. "You see... Noivern can use Gust, too! Noivern, let's go!" Alexa called.

The evolved Dragon Type Pokémon appeared, ready to fight as he flew up. Yuki took out his Pokédex to scan Noivern. _"Noivern, the Sound Wave Pokémon, and the evolved form of Noibat. They fly around on moonless nights and attack careless prey. Nothing can beat them in a battle in the dark."_ Yuki's Pokédex buzzed.

Ash looked up at Noivern, remembering the trouble he had before. "One of our problems with Viola, is we couldn't get past Vivillon's Gust! So, let's try to keep our balance!" Ash explained. He turned to his two Pokémon. "Pikachu! Fletchling, heads up!" Ash called. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

"Chling!" Fletchling chirped. Ash faced Alexa and nodded to her. "Go ahead, Alexa!" Ash called. "Here it comes! Noivern, use Gust!" Alexa shouted. Noivern's wings glowed as he blew strong winds to blow Pikachu and Fletchling hard. The two Pokémon tried to ressit the strong wind.

"Hang in there, Pikachu! Stay strong, Fletchling!" Ash called. But, it was too late to call, as both Pikachu and Fletchling were blown away! Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all widened their eyes and gasped. Ash ran for his two Pokémon. "Pikachu! Fletchling!" Ash yelled. He ran and caught his two Pokémon in time.

"Ugh... Are you okay?" Ash asked, grunting. Both Pikachu and Fletchling shook their heads, recovering from the Gust Attack. "I'm here for you! So, don't worry, and concentrate on training!" Ash reassured. "Pikachu!" Pikachu replied. "Fletch Fletchling!" Fletchling chirped, nodding.

Ash nodded back as he looked back at Alexa. "Have Noivern use Gust again, please!" Ash called. "Alright, but get ready! Noivern! Use Gust!" Alexa shouted. Noivern flew up and blew strong winds again! Pikachu and Fletchling tried to resist Gust again! Ash gritted his teeth as he looked at the violent wind.

_"We've got to be able to deal with Gust!"_ Ash thought, hanging on. Pikachu and Fletchling stood on as Clemont and Bonnie cheered for the two Pokémon. "You're both doing great!" Clemont called. "I know that you can do it!" Bonnie assure. "Ded Dedenne!" Dedenne called as well.

Yuki narrowed his eyes as Hawlucha just stared, feeling serious about watching other Pokémon train. Suddenly, both Pikacu and Fletchlig couldn't hold on anaymore as they were blown away once again! Ash ran and caught the two again. The four people at the sidelines gasped at this.

"Oh no!" "Ash!" Serena and Clemont called. Yuki grew surprised as he looked at Hawlucha. Hawlucha looked back and nodded. Yuki smiled and nodded, looking back at Ash. Ash grunted as he got up. He made some thoughts that he had problems with during his Gym battle.

"Vivillon's Gust isn't the only thing we need to deal with! There's Surskit's Ice Beam and Sticky Web, too! How are we gonna do it!?" Ash thought. Pikachu and Fletchlig stood and looked at Ash sadly. "Pika Pika..." Pikachu replied. "Fletchling Fletch!" Fletchling chirped sadly.

Yuki watched as he took a deep breath. He walked over, before Serena could react. Yuki and Hawlucha stood in front of Ash and called to him. "Ash?" Yuki called. Ash looked up, seeing Yuki. "Y-Yes?" Ash asked. Yuki then smiled and made his words. "I'd like to have a battle with you... If you don't mind." Yuki requested.

Alexa grew startled for a moment, then smiled. She knew what Yuki was planning. Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie grew surprised to the request as well. Ash, Pikachu, and Fletchling looked up in surprise, with Hawlucha smiling at his trainer. Then, Ash grinned and accepted. "Sure! I'd like one!" Ash exclaimed.

And so, both Yuki and Serena have met Ash, with his traveling companions, Clemont and Bonnie. Ash had lost his first Kalos Gym battle against Viola, and is now training to defeat her in a rematch. But, Ash has to face many difficulties that he had with Viola! Will Ash win his first Kalos Gym Badge soon?

And what will Yuki's battle with Ash come to? Stay tuned to find out!

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Double Team)**

**Heracross: (M): (Protect, Megahorn, Swords Dance, Brick Break)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**


	5. Yuki VS Ash! The Training!

**Chapter 5: Yuki VS Ash! The Training!**

Last time on "Pokémon Kalos Journey", Yuki and Serena were running to the Santalune Gym for the two to meet Ash, who was known to be Serena's childhood friend during her time back at Kanto. As they got the the Gym, they witnessed Ash losing his first Kalos Gym battle against Viola, which made a crack on Ash's pride.

Ash's Pikachu and Fletchling have recovered after a long rest at the Pokémon Center. Both Yuki and Serena introduced themselves to Ash and his companions, Clemont and Bonnie, as Alexa planned to help Ash out in his training. Ash used Pikachu and Fletchling to resist Alexa's Noivern's Gust Attack.

But, after two tries, it made the results show no good as the two Pokémon and Ash took some beating after the two failures. Once it was done, Yuki and Hawlucha both challenged Ash to a battle to test his powers as a Trainer, and to see how well he can fight in his rematch. What will the battle results be?

"Ash?" Yuki called. Ash looked up, seeing Yuki. "Y-Yes?" Ash asked. Yuki then smiled and made his words. "I'd like to have a battle with you... If you don't mind." Yuki requested. The request startled everyone as Ash grew surprised. The Kanto trainer then grinned and stood back up.

"Sure! I'd like one!" Ash exclaimed. He turned to Alexa to see if it was necessary. "Go on ahead! I'd like to see how the two of you go on!" Alexa explained. "Thanks, Alexa! Alright then! Let's get this battle going!" Ash exclaimed. Yuki nodded as he and Hawlucha went to a battle box at a side of the battlefield.

Ash went over to where Alexa was and prepared for the battle. "The battle will be a three on three battle. Pokémon substitutions aren't allowed. The battle will be over when one side's Pokémon are unable to battle. Do you agree?" Yuki asked. Ash nodded as he took out a Pokéball.

"Alright! Froakie! I choose you!" Ash yelled. The blue frog looking Pokémon appeared, ready for a battle. Yuki looked at Hawlucha and smiled at him. "You want to give it a first shot, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked. Hawlucha nodded with determination as he ran to the field for the battle.

Clemont stood as the referee, starting the battle. "Alright then! The battle between Ash and Yuki will now... begin!" Clemont called.

**Ash: Froakie + 2 VS Yuki: Hawlucha + 2**

"You can take the first move, Ash." Yuki called. Ash nodded and called to Froakie. "Alright! Froakie! Use Bubble!" Ash shouted. Froakie leapt up in the air, and shot bubble. "Double Team, Hawlucha!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha flew in the air, creating clones of itself.

The Bubble Attack destroyed the clones, giving Hawlucha an opening. "What!? Froakie! Use Pound!" Ash yelled. Froakie's left hand glowed as he made an attempt to strike Hawlucha. "Block it, then Karate Chop!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha rapidly blocked Pound and slammed the Karate Chop, causing Froakie to fly up!

"Hang in there, Froakie! Use Water Pulse!" Ash yelled. Froakie launched a sphere of water, throwing it to Hawlucha. Yuki countered the order once again. "Dodge, then use Aerial Ace!" Yuki called. Hawlucha dodged Water Pulse and slashed Froakie away. Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena all gasped.

"Wow! That's so strong!" Bonnie squealed. "I can't even see how fast Hawlucha is moving!" Serena shrieked. "It's very fast, indeed!" Clemont stated. Ash narrowed his eyes and made another move. "Don't give up, Froakie! Use Water Pulse once more!" Ash yelled. Froakie got up and sent out another Water Pulse.

Hawlucha waited for the timing as Yuki waited as well. As the Water Pulse got closer and closer, Yuki called the signal. "Send it right back with Karate Chop, Hawlucha!" Yuki cried. Hawlucha smashed the Water Pulse, sending it to Froakie. Froakie croaked in pain as he took the deflected hit.

"Now, use Aerial Ace on Froakie!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha flew in the air, slashing Frakie multiple times. Froakie landed on the ground on his back, as he tried to get up. "Froakie! Are you okay!?" Ash called. Froakie weakly nodded as he got up for more. "Okay! Use Pound again, Froakie!" Ash shouted.

Froakie charged at Hawlucha as Yuki countered the order again. "Dodge, then use Flying Press!" Yuki called. Ash widened his eyes of hearing the new move. "Flying Press!? What's that!?" Ash asked. Yuki smirked and stared at Ash. "You'll see when Hawlucha does it!" Yuki answered.

Hawlucha flew up in the air, then dove down, diving towards Froakie. "That's not good! Froakie! Use Bubble, quick!" Ash yelled. Froakie blew the Water Type move at Hawlucha, who dodged them all. "Do it, Hawlucha!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha smashed Froakie to the ground, causing a small explosion.

"No! Froakie!" Ash yelled. Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie looked over to see the results. The dust cleared, showing that Froakie has fainted, much to their surprise. "Froakie is unable to battle! Hawlucha wins!" Clemont declared.

**Ash: 2 Pokémon**

Ash widened his eyes, with his mouth wide in surprise. Hawlucha went back to Yuki and smirked. "Now, you see what Flying Press is like?" Yuki asked. Ash gulped and nodded slowly. He returned Froakie to his Pokéball, before praising Froakie for his good work. "Thanks, Froakie. You take a nice rest!" Ash praised.

Ash took out Fletchling's Pokéball, and threw it in the air. "Fletchling! I choose you!" Ash shouted. The Tiny Robin Pokémon appeared, chirping for a battle. "Alright! Hawlucha! Aerial Ace!" Yuki called. "Fletchling! Counter with Steel Wing!" Ash yelled. Both Fletchling and Hawlucha clashed, with their physical attacks.

"Do it, Fletchling! Use Peck!" Ash called. Fletchling's beak glowed as he flew towards Hawlucha. "Use Double Team!" Yuki called. Hawlucha made clones of himself as he confused the surprised Fletchling as it looked around for the real Hawlucha. "No way! Which one is it!?" Ash gasped.

"Hawlucha, Karate Chop, multiple times!" Yuki called. Then, all the clones struck Fletchling with the Fighting Type move! Fletchling chirped in pain as it was fluttering down slowly. "Fletchling! Hang in there!" Ash called. "Pika Pi!" Pikachu called. "You can do it, Fletchling!" Bonnie cheered.

"Dedenne!" Dedenne called out as well. Fletchling managed to escape the clones as he panted. "Hawlucha! Use Aerial Ace!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha flew fast, slashing Fletchling multiple times! "Fletchling! Intercept with Steel Wing!" Ash yelled. Fletchling's wings glowed as it tried to Attack.

"I don't think so. Hawlucha! Use Flying Press!" Yuki called. Bonnie and Serena gasped of hearing the move. Ash widened his eyes as he tried to counter. "Counter Flying Press with Razor Wind, Fletchling!" Ash yelled. Fletchling sent sharp winds at Hawlucha, only for Hawlucha to dodge the Attack!

Hawlucha then dove down, smashing Fletchling towards the ground. The Wrestling Pokémon immediately then flew up to see what had happened to Fletchling. The dust cleared, with Fletchling chirping weakly, as it showed that it fainted. "Fletchling is unable to battle! Hawlucha wins!" Clemont declared.

**Ash: 1 Pokémon**

Ash returned Fletchling to its Pokéball and smiled. "Thanks for a great battle, Fletchling." Ash thanked. He put the Pokéball away and looked at both Yuki and Hawlucha. _"Hawlucha is pretty strong! It managed to dodge and counter all the attacks that both Froakie and Fletchling sent at it!..."_ Ash thought.

He turned to Pikachu and smiled. "Ready for your turn, Pikachu?" Ash asked. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed, as he ran to the field to face Hawlucha. "Ash's last Pokémon is Pikachu..." Clemont stated. "If Pikachu loses, then Ash will lose!" Bonnie whimpered. "Dedenne." Dedenne agreed sadly.

"Okay... Hawlucha! Aerial Ace!" Yuki called. Hawlucha charged at Pikachu for the Flying Type Attack. "Pikachu! Thunderbolt, let's go!" Ash yelled. Pikachu shot the Electric Type move at Hawlucha, twice. "Iron Tail, now!" Ash shouted. Pikachu's tail glowed as he struck at Hawlucha.

"Switch to Karate Chop, Hawlucha!" Yuki yelled. Hawlucha stopped Aerial Ace, and clashed with Pikachu with Karate Chop! "Pikachu! Use this chance to use Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled. Yuki narrowed his eyes as he called for Hawlucha. "Hawlucha! Counter with Double Team!" Yuki shouted.

Hawkucha quickly made clones of himself again, evading Thunderbolt. "Now, Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!" Ash yelled. Pikachu dashed, charging at Hawlucha. "Block it!" Yuki called. Quick Attack was blocked as Hawlucha caught Pikachu, much to his surprise. Ash gasped at this as well.

"You can do it, Pikachu! Electro Ball!" Ash yelled. "Hawlucha! Fly up and Flying Press!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha dodged Electro Ball as he began to dive down towards Pikachu. "Counter with Iron Tail, Pikachu!" Ash yelled. Pikachu attacked with Iron Tail, as Hawlucha struck with Flying Press.

The two clashed, as there was a small explosion. Both Pikachu and Hawlucha skidded back to their trainers as they glared at each other. "Do it! Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled. "Dodge, then use Aerial Ace!" Yuki called. Hawlucha dodged th Thunderbolt, before slashing Pikachu with Aerial Ace!

"Argh! Electro Ball, let's go!" Ash called. "Use Karate Chop!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha slammed the Electro Ball back, which zapped Pikachu, much to Ash's surprise. "No way!" Ash yelled. Hawlucha then proceeded to strike Pikachu with mulitples of Karate Chop! "Finish it with Aerial Ace!" Yuki called.

Hawlucha slashed Pikachu multiple times as Pikachu landed on the ground. "Now! Flying Press!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha quickly flew up, preparing to strike Pikachu with his flying Fighting Type move. "Thunderbolt, quick!" Ash called. Pikachu panted as he shocked Hawlucha with Thunderbolt.

Hawlucha resisted the Attack as he smashed Pikachu to the ground! "Pikachu!" "Hawlucha!" Both Ash and Yuki called. Serena, Bonnie, Clemont, and Alexa looked over to see who was still standing. But, as the dust cleared, neither Pikachu or Hawlucha was standing! They were both groaning, with swirls on their eyes.

Both Pikachu and Hawlucha had fainted. "Uh... Both Pokémon are unable to battle! All of Ash's Pokémon are out for the count! So, the winner is Yuki!" Clemont declared.

**Yuki: Winner!**

Ash ran over to check on Pikachu as Yuki ran over to Hawlucha. "Are you alright, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked. Hawlucha weakly nodded with a smile. Yuki smiled as he fist bumped with his Pokémon. Ash looked down at Pikachu and grew unsure of himself. Serena walked over, taking out a handkerchief.

"Ash? Here." Serena called. Ash looked up to see Serena smiling at him. "Use this." Serena called, handing Ash a handkerchief. Ash grew startled for a moment, before smiling. "Oh... Great! Thanks!" Ash thanked, before accepting the handkerchief. Serena then got up, frowning for a moment.

"Here we go..." Serena sighed, feeling nervous about it. She then turned to Ash as Pikachu ran for some training. Fletchling bursted out of its Pokéball for some more training as well. "Ash... Do you remember me?" Serena asked. Ash grew confused as he looked at the Vaniville trainer.

"Think back of when you went to camp at Pallet Town, I did, too! That's where we met!" Serena explained. "At camp?" Ash repeated. Serena smiled and nodded. "That's right! We met at Professor Oak's Pokémon Summer Camp!" Serena exclaimed. That's when Ash remembered something.

"Hey, I remember that camp!" Ash exclaimed. "You do!?" Serena asked. Yuki walked over to hear the conversation as Ash nodded. "Yeah! Of course! I went to it!" Ash explained. Serena placed her hands on her chest and nodded. "I know! And that's because I went to that camp as well!" Serena explained.

Yuki looked back at Ash as he made some thoughts. "Hm... Can't say I remember you..." Ash sighed. Serena nearly fell over in shock as she slumped down. "Oh... No..." Serena muttered sadly. Both Yuki and Hawlucha sweat dropped at the reaction as they nervously looked at each other.

Ash adjusted his cap and made a silly smile. "Sorry..." Ash apologized. Serena immediately got to her usual position and made a fake smile. "Ha ha! That's okay, Ash! For now, you need to concentrate on training! You can remember me later!" Serena reminded. "R-Right..." Ash agreed.

"I've got to say, Pokémon battles are amazing!" Serena exclaimed. "You saw mine? I bet you totally know what a rotten mess I made!" Ash smirked. Serena blinked in surprise. "A mess? I don't think so! You were awesome! I remember what you said the last time we met! 'You never give up until the end!'" Serena explained.

Ash grew surprised of hearing those words. "You're obviously not giving up! You haven't changed one bit!" Serena giggled. Ash smiled as he grinned. He then started to laugh. "Mmph. I haven't changed... Have I?" Ash asked, shaking with small laughter. He then burst out loud, laughing happily.

Alexa noticed the conversation going on between the three. "I'm not giving up! That just wouldn't be me at all! Thanks, Yuki! Serena! You two are both the big help!" Ash thanked. Both Yuki and Hawlucha grew confused. "What did I do?" Yuki asked. Ash grinned as he rubbed the back of his head.

"After battling you, with Serena's words, I decided that I'd keep trying no matter how hard it can be!" Ash explained. Serena blinked as she let Ash head to his battle box. "Um... Sure." Serena replied. "Alexa! Could we have another battle, please?" Ash called. "Okay!" Alexa agreed.

Pikachu and Fletchling ran back to Ash's side as he got ready. "It's not just me t get all down to myself! I can fix all of this by not giving up!" Ash exclaimed. Yuki joined with Ash's two companions and Serena as Noivern landed to face Pikachu and Fletchling.

"Are you ready to go?" Alexa asked. Pikachu and Fletchling once again got into battle position. "Noivern! Use Gust!" Alexa called. Noivern blew violent winds again, starting to blow Pikachu and Fletchling away. The two began to resist the wind as they held on tight. "Stay strong! Don't give up!" Ash called.

Pikachu and Fletchling both kept resisting the wind. "Get your foot in, Pikachu! And Fletchling, keep your balance!" Ash called. Pikachu gritted his teeth as he stopped himself from sliding away by using his tail! His tail struck the ground, saving him from Gust. "Alright! Pikachu's using his tail!" Serena exclaimed.

"Great! In that position, Pikachu should be able to keep its footing!" Clemont smirked, feeling amazed. Yuki noticed Fletchling riding Noivern's Gust Attack. The others soon noticed as well. "Wow! Look at that! Fletchling is flying lots better now, too!" Bonnie commented.

"Dedenne!" Dedenne agreed. "It's adjusting its tails feathers to control how the air flows around it!" Clemont explained. "All I can say is, that the progress for the rematch is going well." Yuki stated. "Lucha!" Hawlucha agreed, with his arms folded. "Now, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt! And Fletchling! Razor Wind!" Ash yelled.

The two Pokémon then got up, shooting their attacks at Noivern. "Alright, Noivern! Dodge it!" Alexa yelled. Noivern dodged both Thunderbolt and Razor Wind with a flight in the air. It landed down, to show that Ash is getting more determined woth his Pokémon. "Awesome! Looking good, you two!" Ash complimented.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. "Fletchling!" The Tiny Robin Pokémon chirped. Alexa smirked at the progress as well. "Looks like you're getting the hang of it! But, I'm not finished yet! Use Gust again!" Alexa called. Noivern once again blew the Flying Type move, blowing at Ash's two Pokémon.

**That evening...**

Pikachu and Fletchlig were both fatigued as Ash panted. "Wow, Alexa! That was some really helpful training! Thanks for everything!" Ash thanked. "Save your thanks after you defeat my sister and win your first Kalo Gym Badge!" Alexa reminded. "Right! I'll do my best!" Ash promised.

Pikachu and Fletchling both responded to Ash with the agreement.

**That night...**

Yuki, Ash, Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie were at the Pokémon Center, having some supper together. As they were eating, Ash made some plans. "Mm... We've got some good defense on Gust now!" Ash exclaimed. "So that means... Uh... You've just got to figure out the Ice battlefield, and Sticky Web, and Psychic!" Bonnie reminded.

Ash smirked with that. "I've already figured out how to deal with the Ice battlefield!" Ash explained. Bonnie grew excited with that. "Yeah!? What are you going to do!?" Bonnie asked. Ash grinned in a mischievous way. "You'll find out during the battle!" Ash chuckled.

Bonnie pouted with that, as she ate the cake. "Hey, that's no fun!" Bonnie pouted as she sighed. Clemont made his statement about Sticky Web. "Well, as far as handling Sticky Web, you just leave that to me!" Clemont explained. Ash grew excited with this. "Yes! Alright!" Ash exclaimed. He turned to Pikachu and Fletchling, who were eating their food.

"Pikachu and Fletchling! It's back to training after we eat!" Ash called. The two turned, with their mouth stuffed by the food. They yelled out in their determination. Yuki smirked, before starting to giggle. Everyone looked at him in confusion. "Yuki? What's so funny?" Ash asked.

"Pfft... Pikachu and Fletchling... They look so funny when they talk... with food in their cheeks!" Yuki laughed, as he began to laugh softly. Hawlucha got the reason as he chuckled to himself as well. Serena looked both at Yuki and Ash and smiled.

**Later...**

After supper, Clemont brought a large object that he hid from the four humans. "Allow me to help you with your training, using the best of my scientific skills! Remember! The fiture is now, thanks to science! And the power of technology!... Clemontic Gear on!" Clemont called.

He took down the tarp that was covering a machine, showing itself! "I invented this device, as an anticipation of the very situation Ash is now in! I call it... The Sticky Web Sticky Wicked Whackerwonk!" Clemont exclaimed, presenting his machine. Serena and Bonnie grew confused.

Both Hawlucha and Yuki blinked before looking at each other. They both gave each other a shrug before looking back at Clemont and his machine. As for Ash, he grew very impressed. "Science is so amazing!" Ash exclaimed. Both partners sweat dropped as they face and paw palmed.

"I've analyzed Sticky Web's composition in the DNA level, and this device is able to replicate its stickiness, color, aroma, and nutritional value! I'm sure approval is right around the corner!" Clemont explained, being sure of himself. "Approval? You mean to say there has been failures before?" Yuki asked.

"You can say that..." Bonnie laughed nervously. "Dedenne." Dedenne agreed. Ash grew happy about it, though. "Well, I really don't know what you're talking about, but thanks, Clemont!" Ash thanked with a smile. Clemont adjusted his glasses with that. "So, let's get started!" Clemont called.

Pikachu and Fletchling prepared for the blow. "Lock on target... And... Fire!" Clemont yelled. He started the machine, which shot some web towards Pikachu and Fletchling. "Dodge it!" Ash called. The two Pokémon dodged the webs as they landed on the ground. Pikachu touched one of them, before getting it off of him.

"He's right! It's the same as Sticky Web!" Serena exclaimed. Yuki grew amazed and surprised along with the success. "This is what I call training with science! Keep it up!" Clemont reminded. He shot many more Sticky Web replicas towards both Pikachu and Fletchling.

The two kept dodging and dodging, with Ash getting impressed. "Hey! You're both getting great!" Ash complimented. Pikachu and Fletchling kept on dodging before Clemont stopped. "Not bad! But, you haven't experienced my device working at FULL power!" Clemont sneered.

His glasses shined as he prepared for the highest level for his machine. "Maximum level... And fire!" Clemont called. He pressed the lever. However, nothing was coming out of the machine. Everyone looked at it, confused. Clemont peered down to check on it as well. "Something's not right..." Clemont replied.

Suddenly, the machine started to work, as Clemont panicked. He accidentally pushed the machine up, causing all the thrown Sticky Web replicas to block the others! The machine began to sputter and smoke, as Clemont panicked even more. Everyone screamed out loud as the machine exploded.

As the dust cleared, everyone, also Pokémon had bushy heads. Bonnie sighed with disappointment. "Looks like another machine went boom!" Bonnie muttered. Clemont dropped his head down and protested. "Why!?... WHY!?" Clemont moaned. Yuki quickly combed his black-brown hair back straight.

Hawlucha rubbed his head to make the bushy ones go away. Ash then had an idea. "In that case... Froakie! I choose you!" Ash called. Froakie croaked happily as he looked at Ash. "Froakie Kie!" Froakie croaked. "If you Attack us with our Frubbles, it'll feel like getting attacked by Sticky Web!" Ash called.

Froakie nodded as he threw some of his Frubbles at the two Pokémon. "Quick! Pikachu, Fletchling, dodge it!" Ash yelled. Just like with Clemont's machine, the two dodged as Froakie threw some more Frubbles. The others on the sidelines grew amazed. "Wow! What a clever way to use Frubbles!" Clemont exclaimed.

"Yeah! Keep it up!" Bonnie cheered. "Dedenne!" Dedenne cheered as well. As Pikachu landed, Ash made a reminder. "Now, concentrate and speed up!" Ash called. Pikachu nodded as he leapt in the air. Froakie launched some more Frubbles, which Pikachu and Fletchling kept dodging!

"Show me that spirit!" Ash called. As the training continued, Serena took a look at Ash's a Froakie. "I didn't know Ash had a Froakie, too!" Serena admitted. "That Froakie is from Professor Sycamore's research lab!" Bonnie explained. "Wow! It's just like my Fennekin!" Serena exclaimed.

Yuki smiled as he watched the training. Froakie landed on the ground, as Pikachu and Fletchling did the same. Ash called his three Pokémon off. "I think we're going to be just fine! So, let's just call it a day!" Ash called. "Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. Froakie walked over, giving Fletchling a big pat on the back.

Fletchling regained its balance and stood up straight. Just then, Bonnie began to wobble. "Ra ra ra... Go team... Go... I know that you can do it... You're awesome..." Bonnie yawned as she kept wobbling. Clemont laughed nervously, before crouching down to Bonnie'e level. "Bonnie? I think it's bedtime." Clemont chuckled.

"Uhh... You were great..." Bonnie yawned again. Yuki and Serena smiled at the sleepy Bonnie. "Yeah! Weren't they? Let's go." Clemont called. He began to take Bonnie back to the Pokémon Center. "Pikachu... Hawlucha..." Bonnie sleepily said. "Okay, Ash! I'm going to tuck Bonnie to bed!" Clemont called.

"Right! Thanks for staying up so late to help me out!" Ash thanked. All of Ash's Pokémon smiled as they watched the siblings go to bed. Ash knelt down, smiling at his three Pokémon. "Well, we all worked on what we could do! So, all that's left, is to battle Viola as hard as we can!" Ash exclaimed.

He then made a determined fist. "So, let's give it all we've got!" Ash exclaimed. Pikachu, Froakie, and Fletchling all called out in agreement. Yuki, Serena, and Hawlucha walked over to the trainer and his three Pokémon.

"It's amazing on how trainers and Pokémon work together. It takes a lot of time and effort to earn yourself a Gym Badge, doesn't it?" Serena asked. "You'll be training like this in no time! Soon, you're gonna hit the road and catch more Pokémon, so you can challenge the Pokémon Gyms, right?" Ash asked.

Serena looked down as she smiled. "I guess so. I know that I have Fennekin, but I'm not sure what my next step would be." Serena admitted. Ash turned to the Hawlucha Boy. "What about you, Yuki? When you asked for a three on three, you had more Pokémon, didn't you?" Ash asked.

"Yeah... I had two more, besides Hawlucha. Also, I've already won my badge from Viola." Yuki explained. He showed his Bug Badge in his Badge Case to Ash and Serena. "Awesome! No wonder you were so strong!" Ash exclaimed. Yuki shook his head a little, though.

"Actually, for two years, I lived and trained with Hawlucha together, practically inseparable. We usually spar together, with Hawlucha learning new moves." Yuki explained. "Oh wow! Really?! What else?" Ash asked. Yuki fidgeted his fingers as he explained.

"Well, Hawlucha taught me how to sense danger or other presences. He taught me all kinds of fighting moves, as I taught him some things." Yuki explained. Serena smiled sweetly and nodded. "That sounds amazing!" Serena exclaimed. Ash grinned as he turned to Serena.

"About you, Serena. Gotcha. Take your time and you'll know what to do." Ash assured. Serena widened her eyes in surprise. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed, landing on Ash's shoulder. Serena nodded in agreement. "I will! Thank you!" Serena thanked. Ash turned back to Yuki.

"So, Yuki? Are you gonna enter the Kalos League?" Ash asked. Yuki looked at Hawlucha, who grinned in agreement. "I guess so. I've already won my first badge, so I am." Yuki explained. "Cool! I guess this makes us rivals then!" Ash exclaimed, grinning. Yuki chuckled with that. "I guess it does." Yuki agreed.

Ash and Yuki battled together, with Yuki coming out on top, 2 to 0. Ash figures of what he intends to do with Viola in his rematch! Will he be able to win his first Kalos Gym Badge in the rematch, or fail once again? Stay tuned to find out!

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Double Team, Karate Chop)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Megahorn, Brick Break)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**


	6. Ash VS Viola! The Rematch!

**Chapter 6: Ash VS Viola! The Rematch!**

Last time on "Pokémon: Kalos Journey", Yuki had challenged Ash to a three on three battle, to test Ash's skills. In the end, Ash lost to Yuki, only getting to battle Yuki's partner, Hawlucha. Ash then continued his training until he figured out a strategy to beat Viola and her battle tactics.

Now, the battle for his Bug Badge is about to begin. Also, will Ash remember Serena in his past life?

The next day, everyone was at the Santalune Gym, with Ash on the challenger's box. Viola was in her challenge box. "The Gym Battle rematch between Ash, the challenger and Viola, the Santalune Gym Leader, will now begin!" The referee announced. At the sidelines, Alexa glanced at Serena and Yuki.

"I heard you two." Alexa called. The two trainers looked at Alexa in confusion. "You two were having your talk with Ash. He needed some inspiration! But, I never thought it could come from the two of you!" Alexa explained. Yuki rubbed the back of his head with a nervous laugh.

"Each side will have the use of two Pokémon. And the battle will be over when either trainer's Pokémon are unable to continue! Only the challenger may substitute Pokémon!" The referee explained. Viola sneered at the Pallet Town trainer. "So, Ash! My sister tells me you were training hard yesterday! I'm looking forward to this!" Viola smirked.

"Yeah! Me too! Because this time, I'm gonna win the badge!" Ash exclaimed. Viola smirked as she took out a Pokéball. "My lens are still focused on victory, and nothing will ruin this shot! Go, Surskit!" Viola called. Once again, the Pond Skater Pokémon appeared, ready for battle.

Ash grinned, knowing who to choose. "Time to even the score! Right, Pikachu?" Ash asked. Pikachu nodded as he ran to the field to face Surskit. Yuki watched closely, hoping to see what Ash had planned for Viola. "Battle begin!" The referee called.

**Viola: Surskit + 1 VS Ash: Pikachu + 1**

Surskit slid around with her legs. Pikachu kept a sharp eye on Surskit's movements. "They're waiting to see Surskit's first move." Alexa stated, looking at the beginning of the battle. "Ash and Pikachu! GET 'EM, GET 'EM, GET'EM!" Bonnie screamed out loud. "Dedenne!" Dedenne imitated.

"You can't take a picture without pressing a shutter and you can't win a battle without attacking! Alright, Surskit! Use Sticky Web!" Viola called. Surskit shot the sticky web Attack, aiming towards Pikachu! "Dodge it, Pikachu!" Ash called. Pikachu quickly dodged all of the Attack.

The quick dodge surprised Viola. "Wow, that's fast! All that training's paying off!" Serena exclaimed. "It sure is. But, it's going to take more than speed to win this battle." Yuki explained. "Lucha." Hawlucha agreed. "Now, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash called. Pikachu leapt in the air to shoot the Electric Type move.

"Surskit, Protect!" Viola called. Surskit quickly made a barrier, repelling Thunderbolt. "Signal Beam, go!" Viola called. Surskit shot the powerful Bug Type move, launching it at Pikachu. Ash immediately made his call. "Dodge, then use Iron Tail!" Ash shouted. Pikachu dodged Signal Beam and leapt in the air.

Surskit grew startled, as Pikachu slammed Surskit down with the Steel Type move. The Pond Skater Pokémon slid back to Viola, who grew surprised. "Surskit!" Viola called, concerned. At the sidelines, Bonnie cheered. "Alright! Pikachu really nailed it!" Bonnie exclaimed. "Dedenne!" Dedenne agreed.

"Iron Tail isn't that effective against Surskit, but considering Pikachu wasn't able to land an Attack at all last time, it was a meaningful hit!" Clemont explained. "I hear you. I'm sure Ash knows what he's doing." Yuki smirked. At the battle, Surskit shook her head to recover from Iron Tail.

"Now, let's refocus on the battle! Time to use Ice Beam, and create an Ice battlefield!" Viola called. Surskit began to use Ice Beam at the field. Ash narrowed his eyes, refusing to allow it. "Don't let Surskit use Ice Beam!" Ash called. Pikachu nodded as he lunged towards Surskit.

Surskit shrieked in surprise as she stumbled, while trying to focus on Ice Beam. "Stay on it and use Thunderbolt!" Ash called. Viola gritted her teeth. "Shake it loose and use Ice Beam!" Viola shouted. Surskit struggled as she used Ice Beam all over on the trees and on the ceiling!

Surskit managed to lose Pikachu as it shot the Ice Type Attack. "Pikachu! Dodge it!" Ash yelled. Pikachu dodged all the Ice Beam strikes, but slipped due to the ice covering the battlefield. The Electric Type slid on the ice, sliding back to Ash! "Pikachu!" Ash gasped. Everyone on the sidelines gasped as well.

Viola smiled. Her Ice battlefield tactic was complete. Ash gritted his teeth, seeing that his part of the plan had failed. "Another perfect picture of the Ice battlefield! Surskit! Start skating!" Viola called. Surskit nodded as it began to skate around Pikachu. Pikachu tried to regain his balance, but kept slipping.

"It's just like the last battle!" Bonnie complained. "Dedenne." Dedenne sadly agreed. "The difference is Ash trained hard for this one!" Serena stated. Yuki gave a deep breath as he looked at the current situation Ash was currently at. "Can you get up, Pikachu?" Ash asked. Pikachu gritted his teeth.

He tried to regain his balance once again. "This Ice battlefield is my studio! I'm the phorographer, and I call the shots!" Viola smirked. She made a posing movement. "Surskit! Signal Beam!" Viola called. Surskit began to use Signal Beam when Ash made his timing.

"Now, Pikachu!" Ash called. Pikachu then smashed his tip of his tail on the ice, hanging on tight. Everyone on the sidelines grew amazed. "That's the thing Ash wouldn't tell us about!" Clemont exclaimed. Everyone looked at the inventor in confusion. "How he's was going to deal with the Ice battlefield!" Clemont explained.

Ash grinned as he called to Pikachu. "Way to go! Now, use Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled. Pikachu held on as he shot his Thunderbolt towards Surskit. Surskit, at the same time shot the Signal Beam. The two moves collided, creating an explosion. However, Thunderbolt got through, shocking Surskit.

Surskit screamed as it landed on the icy ground. "Surskit, no!" Viola yelled. As Surskit landed on the ground, the Pond Skater Pokémon fainted! "Surskit is unable to battle! Pikachu wins!" The referee declared. Pikachu got up, proud of the accomplishment he made currently.

**Viola: 1 Pokémon**

"We did it!" Ash yelled out happily. "Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered. "Yay!" Bonnie and Serena cheered along. "Nice going, you two!" Yuki complimented. "Cha!" Hawlucha agreed, grinning at the Electric Type Pokémon. "Who knew Pikachu would plant its tail to keep on balance!" Alexa smirked.

Viola returned Surskit to its Pokéball, and sighed. "Surskit, that was excellent. Now, get a good rest!" Viola praised. As Viola praised Surskit, Ash called for Pikachu. "Pikachu! Return!" Ash called. Pikachu ran back to Ash, much to Viola's surprise. "What? You're done battling with Pikachu?" Viola asked.

Ash grinned as he took out Fletchling's Pokéball. "Fletchling wants a chance to have a rematch with Vivillon, too!" Ash explained. "Fletchling! I choose you!" Ash called. "Picture perfect! Let's do this, Vivillon!" Viola called. Both the aerial Pokémon appeared, ready to battle.

"They won't have to worry about Sticky Web this time!" Bonnie exclaimed. "And Ash can thank Pikachu for that!" Serena giggled. "They also have a great counter for Gust! This is not yesterday's battle, for sure!" Clemont stated, adjusting his glasses. "With two Pokémon still, Ash may have the advantage." Yuki stated.

Hawlucha nodded as he kept watching. "Alright! Fletchling! Steel Wing, let's go!" Ash called. Fletchling flew towards Vivillon, using the Steel Type move. At the right moment, Viola called for her moment. "Use Psychic!" Viola called. Vivillon's eyes glowed as she began to control Fletchling.

Fletchling was thrown to the ice hard. "Fletchling, no!" Ash yelled. Fletchling struggled as it got up, ready for more. "Be strong! Now! Get up!" Ash yelled. Fletchling got up, determined. "Great, Fletchling! Steel Wing!" Ash called. Fletchling sped towards Vivillon, slashing her away!

Vivillon squealed in pain as she fluttered away from Fletchling. "Ah!" Viola gasped. "Way t go! Now, use Peck!" Ash called. Fletchling's beak glowed as it aimed for the evolved Bug Type Pokémon. "Dodge it, quick!" Viola called. Vivillon flew out of the way, causing Peck to miss. "Alright! Use Gust!" Viola called.

Vivillon blew strong winds at Fletchling, causing the Tiny Robin Pokémon to suffer. "Remmember our training, Fetlching!" Ash called. Fletchling adjusted its flying capabilities, as it rode the wind. "Great riding, Fletchling! Keep it up!" Yuki called. "Yeah! You can do it!" Serena and Bonnie cheered.

"Fletchling! Use Razor Wind!" Ash called. "Vivillon! Sleep Powder!" Viola called. As Fletchling spin to blow sharp winds, Vivillon blew green powder towards the Flying Type. Yuki widened his eyes on that. "Ash! Get Fletchling out of there!" Yuki yelled. Everyone turned to Yuki in surprise.

They all looked to see Vivillon, taking a little damage from Razor Wind. Just then, Fletchling got covered from Sleep Powder as it began to fall to the ground. "Fletchling! Wake up!" Ash yelled. "I had no idea Vivillon could use Sleep Powder!" Clemont admitted, shocked to see the new move.

As Fletchling fluttered down, Vipla saw her chance. "Excellent picture perfect! Vivillon, Solarbeam!" Viola yelled. Vivillon absorbed energy from the sunlight, creating a direct blow with the Grass Type move. Fletchling chirped in pain as he was smashed to the ground. "Oh no! Fletchling!" Ash yelled.

The mist cleared, showing that Fletchling had fainted. "Fletchling is unable to battle! Vivillon wins!" The referee declared.

**Ash: 1 Pokémon**

"Aw... Poor Fletchling lost!" Bonnie sighed sadly. "Dedenne." Dedenne agreed. "There's no way my sister would let Ash win without a real fight!" Alexa explained. Yuki stays silent, looking carefully at the battle. "That's okay! We believe in Ash!" Serena assured. The others agreed as they kept watching.

Ash returned Fletchking to its Pokéball. "Good job. You battled hard! How, get some good rest!" Ash praised. He put the Pokéball away, before looking at Pikachu. "I'm gonna need you to get back in there, Pikachu." Ash called. Pikachu nodded as he ran back to face Vivillon.

"Now, Vivillon! Use Gust!" Viola called. Vivillon used the Flying Type move, as Pikachu used his tail to stop himself from being blown away. "Hang tough, Pikachu! You can stay on your feet!" Ash called. Pikachu struggled, as he gritted his teeth, holding onto the ground tightly.

The group on the sidelines gasped. "Pikachu's still feeling the battle with Surskit! If this drags on, this could lead to a bug disadvantage!" Clemont stated. Pikachu continued to hang on as he tried to regain his balance. "Pikachu can't beat Vivillon at that state! I'm afraid you're gonna have to wait longer for your badge!" Viola sighed.

"Yeah? Well, there's no way we're giving up! That's not what we're about! We'll keep battling right up until the very end!" Ash exclaimed, glaring at the Gym Leader. Those words rang Serena's mind as she remembered the past. _"Don't give up until it's over!" _Ash echoed in her mind.

Viola smiled at Ash. "I admire your persistence, but this is the end! Gust, one more time!" Viola called. Vivillon blew Gust again, leaving Pikachu to struggle again. "Pikachu! Iron Tail, let's go!" Ash called. Pikachu's tail glowed as he smashed it to the icy floor. The tail helped Pikachu regain his balance.

The people on the sideline grew amazed. "It's using Iron Tail!" Serena exclaimed. "Another great way to stay put!" Clemont called. "They're very persistent. I'll give the two that." Yuki smirked. "Hawlucha!" Hawlucha agreed.

Viola smiled at that, however. "Pretty clever! But, you've just made it easier for me to focus! Vivillon! Use Solarbeam!" Viola called. Vivillon launched the Grass Type move again, this time at Pikachu! "Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled. Pikachu shot the Electric Type move, colliding it with Solarbeam.

Viola grew shocked as the two moves exploded. "Vivillon! Sleep Powder!" Viola called. Vivillon blew the green powder again. "No! Get out of there, quick!" Yuki warned. But, it was too late. As Pikachu struggled to save himself, the powder got to Pikachu, as he began to grow drowsy.

Pikachu slumped on the ground feeling sleepy. "Pikachu!" Ash gasped. The others on the sidelines gasped. "So, here we are! It's my chance to take a great last picture!" Viola smirked. "Ash! Pikachu! You both got to hang in there!" Serena called. "Let's finish this up with Solarbeam!" Viola called.

Vivillon prepared to launch the powerful Attack again! "Pikachu! Wake up!" Ash yelled. Pikachu started to grow sleepy, as he tried to stay awake. "Remember your training from yesterday!" Serena called. "That's how you can win this!" Yuki yelled. The two voices struck Ash as he had a plan.

"Pikachu! Use Electro Ball on yourself!" Ash called. Sleepily, Pikahu charged up Electro Ball, as he launched it into the air. Both Viola and Vivillon grew surprised of what the two were doing. The Electro Ball then landed on Pikachu, creating a small explosion. As the dust cleared, Pikachu was wide awake!

Viola gasped in shock, as Serena and Bonnie cheered. "Alright!" The two girls called happily. "It neutralized Sleep Powder by using the Electric Type move on itself!" Clemont exclaimed. Alexa giggled at that. "That's very very Ash!" Alexa smirked. "Vivillon! Solarbeam!" Viola called.

Vivillon quickly shot Solarbeam. "We're all with you! So, out everything you've got in this move! Use Electro Ball!" Ash called. Pikachu nodded as he prepared Electro Ball. Pikachu threw the ball, exploding it along with Solarbeam. However, Electro Ball past through, zapping it on Vivillon. "Vivillon! No!" Viola gasped.

Vivillon squealed in pain as she was for do back, bumping on the three frozen lamps. Suddenly, Vivillon began to stagger on its flying. "Vivillon! Be strong!" Viola called. "Uh oh... Vivillon is starting to fly weird all of a sudden!" Bonnie called. "Look at it wing! It's covered with ice!" Clemont called.

Viola's face darkend as she made a tightening fist. "No... How can this be!?" Viola stuttered. "Now, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash called. Pikachu leapt in the air, shooting the Electric Type move at Vivillon. Vivillon yelled in pain as she was shocked by the Thunderbolt Attack.

"Vivillon, no!" Viola called. The mist cleared, showing that Vivillon had fainted. "Vivillon is unable to battle! Pikachu wins! Which means the inner of this match... Is Ash!" The referee declared. Ash made a fis in the air. "Alright!" Ash exclaimed. Pikachu ran to his trainer, as Ash hugged him.

**Ash: Winner!**

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu exclaimed. "We did it, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed. "Ash!" Clemont called. Ash looked to see everyone running to him and Pikachu. "Ash! That was amazing!" Serena exclaimed. "Happy happy buddy! Way to go, Ash! You were great!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"Great battle! We were all surprised to see some of your strategies!" Yuki smirked. "Hawlucha!" The Wrestling Pokémon agreed. "Hey, thanks! But, I couldnt have done it without from the help of you guys!" Ash grinned. Clemont grew confused with that. "Ash. I had nothing to do with your winning, and you know it!" Clemont objected.

"Nah! Your invention gave me the idea!" Ash assured. Clemont grew confused, before remembering yesterday. His sticky invention had exploded when it was stuck by the thrown out of control Sticky Web. "You mean, my invention's failure gave you the idea of Pikachu using Electro Ball on itself?" Clemont asked.

"Yep! And this victory doesn't belong to me! It's all of ours!" Ash exclaimed. His four friends just smiled at those words. As they were talking about Ash's victory, Alexa walked over to Viola, who had returned Vivillon to its Pokéball. "Thank you, Vivillon, for a great battle." Viola praised. "What did I tell you about Ash?" Alexa asked, smiling.

Viola smiled, as the two sisters began to walk towards the group. "Yeah. You knew it all along!" Viola smirked. She then turned to the Kanto trainer. "Ash?" Viola called. Everyone turned to see Viola and Alexa coming, with the referee holding the Bug Badge.

"Congratulations! This is the proof that you've won your Gym Battle against me! The Bug Badge!" Viola called. The referee handed Ash the badge as he took it with thanks. "Alright! Thanks so much!" Ash thanked, accepting it. "Alright! I've just got the Bug Badge!" Ash exclaimed.

He held the Bug Badge up high. "Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed happily. He placed the badge in his Badge Case, with only needing seven left.

Outside, the two sisters were about to say their farewell to the group. "There are some things that can only be seen when looking through a camera's viewfinder. And things you'll only see clearly by living together with Pokémon! Keep strengthening the bonds you have with your Pokémon! And good luck!" Viola explained.

"Thanks!" Ash thanked. "Pika!" Pikachu thanked. "Ash. Yuki. I imagine you're going to head for your next Gym Battle. In that case, how about the gym in Cyllage City?" Alexa suggested. "Cyllage City Gym? That sounds great!" Ash exclaimed. "I guess that's where our next destination will be... Right, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked.

"Cha." Hawlucha nodded in agreement. Alexa's Helioptile landed on Ash's arm as Ash smiled. "You take care, Helioptile." Ash called. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. "Hel!" Helioptile cooed before going back to Alexa. "Okay. We're going to head out!" Clemont called. "Thanks again!" Ash thanked.

Everyone said their farewells as they left the Santaune Gym. "I'll be seeing you all again, really soon!" Alexa promised. The group kept walking, as they were soon out of Alexa and Viola's sight.

Pas the group were walking, Ash turned to Yuki and Serena. "So hey! Yuki! Serena! Where are you two headed off to?" Ash asked. Serena stopped by, thinking about it. "I was thinking whether I should go to Cyllage City alone, or together..." Yuki explained. "Uh... Me?" Serena asked.

And so, Ash earned his Bug Badge from Viola in his rematch. Now, the decision was left for both Serena and Yuki to make. What will Serena do? And what will Yuki do on his way to Cyllage City? Stay tuned to find out!

**Yuki's Team: **

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Karate Chop, Aerial Ac, Double Team)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Megahorn, Brick Break, Protect)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Take Down, Headbutt, Tackle)**


	7. A Lesson in a Rhyhorn Race!

**Chapter 7: A Lesson in a Rhyhorn Race!**

"So hey! Yuki! Serena! Where are you two headed off to?" Ash asked. Serena stopped thinking about it. "I was thinking whether I should go to Cyllage City alone, or together..." Yuki explained. He nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Uh... Me? Uh... Well, I... Uh..." Serena stammered.

"Why don't you two just come along with us?" Ash asked. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Bonnie immediately went with the idea, running to both trainers. "Yeah! That'd be fun! Come with us! We'll have a great time!" Bonnie recommended. She held both Yuki's and Serena's hand to pull the two over.

"Yeah! Sounds like an excellent idea to me!" Clemont agreed. Ash nodded in agreement. "Thanks to the both of you, I came up with the Santalune Gym strategy! And if you two could help me from here on out... Uh... It would be great." Ash explained. Yuki and Hawlucha took a look at each for a moment.

The two nodded as they both smiled at Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie. "Sure thing! It'd be great to have companions along." Yuki replied. "Lucha!" Hawlucha agreed while folding his arms. "Sure! How could I say no to all that?" Serena asked. She winked at Ash, as the Pallet Town trainer grinned.

"Alright!" Ash exclaimed. "Yeah! That's the spirit!" Clemont replied with a smile. Bonnie cheered for two new companions as she dragged the two to the two boys. "Come on!" Bonnie said impatiently. "Ash! Yuki! The two of you are planning to head to the Cyllage Gym next, aren't you?" Serena asked.

"Yeah!" Ash replied with a nod. "That's where we're going, alright." Yuki agreed. "Well, I can show you both how to get there!" Serena assured. She pulled out a pink device for, her bag. "Ta-da! Here's where we are now! Santalune City!" Serena called.

Yuki, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie walked over to look closer at Serena's device. "But look here! Lumiose City is between us and Cyllage City! So, we have to travel back to Lumiose City, before we get there!" Serena explained. She closed her device as Ash smiled. "I guess you're right!" Ash smirked.

"Great! There's a boutique in Lumiose City, cutest clothes, and an awesome bakery that has the best pastries you ever tasted!" Serena explained. She squealed, thinking of the sight that Lumiose City might be. Bonnie's mouth began to water as she thought of the delicious pastries.

"What are we waiting for!? Let's go!" Serena giggled. She ran ahead, with Bonnie following behind. "Yippee!" Bonne cheered as she followed closely to Serena. "Clemont! Step on it!" Ash yelled. Yuki ran as well, but managed to pass everyone, much to their surprise.

"Whoa! Slow down, Yuki!" Serena gasped as she tried to catch up. Hawlucha and Yuki smirked as they pretended to not hear her. "Huff huff... I'm doing my best..." Clemont panted, feeling tired already for running.

Later, the group was walking in a woods, heading to the route for Lumiose City. "As long as we're going Lumiose City, I'd really like to take a shot at the Lumiose Gym battle..." Ash explained. Clemont flinched when Ash said it. Yuki glanced back at Ash with a shook of his head.

"That won't be possible until you earn four Gym Badges, Ash." Yuki reminded. Ash widened his eyes of Yuki saying those words. "Did you try to challenge it?" Ash asked. "No. I didn't start my journey right then. But, I heard that the Gym Leader was making conditions to challenge the Gym." Yuki answered.

"Haw." Hawlucha nodded in agreement. Clemont laughed nervously as he tried to change the subject. "Well, it's probably a good idea to keep in mind that you haven't been in the Kalos region for long, Ash... And Yuki, you're a bit, well... Inexperienced for just battling with Hawlucha." Clemont reminded.

A tick mark appeared in both Yuki and Hawlucha's back of their head. They both glanced, glaring at Clemont. "I've been training with Hawlucha for two years, Clemont..." Yuki sneered. "Lucha..." Hawlucha growled, glaring at the inventor. Clemont sweat dropped as he waved his hands in an apology.

"And also, we defeated Viola with ease, and never lost a battle before. How can you possibly say that me and Hawlucha are inexperienced?" Yuki added harshly. Clemont gulped as he changed the subject. "W-Well! I've got an idea! Why don't you utilize this time to catch another Kalos Pokémon?" Clemont asked.

Yuki scoffed as he turned away, with Hawlucha doing the same. For Ash, he instantly agreed to that idea. "Yeah! That's a good point! Now... Where is my next Pokémon hanging out?" Ash asked, looking around. Pikachu also looked around to find some new Pokémon as well.

Both Yuki and Hawlucha sighed as they kept on walking, not noticing that the others stopped following. As a few mintues passed, the duo suddenly stopped. "Hawlucha. Do you feel that?" Yuki asked. "Cha." Hawlucha replied with a nod. The two ran off the path, each hiding behind a tree.

The sounds got closer. Just then, the sounds became rumbling. Yuki and Hawlucha looked close to see that a group of Rhyhorns were charging, running onto the path. As they were gone, Yuki and Hawlucha got back onto the path, as they looked back. "Is this... A Rhyhorn race?" Yuki asked.

"That's right!" A voice called. The duo turned to see Officer Jenny coming by with her police motorbike. "This is one of the Rhyhorn racecourses! By the way... What are you doing out here anyway?" Officer Jenny asked. She grew suspicious of the two. Yuki rubbed the back of his neck and explained.

"Sorry. We didn't expect this path to be a course of the race." Yuki explained. "Lucha." Hawlucha agreed with a nod. Officer Jenny smiled with a nod. "Alright then. I'll let this one off. But, next time, be careful, alright?" Officer Jenny warned. The two nodded as the officer drove away.

"Oh! Officer Jenny! There are more trainers that could be on the path!" Yuki called. Officer Jenny glanced back, nodding as she drove off. She was out of sight as the two fighters looked at each other. "I guess we must've left them behind... Didn't we?" Yuki asked.

The Hawlucha Boy laughed nervously. "Haw..." Hawlucha sighed, disappointed with the others trailing behind. Yuki then looked up, remembering the days when he and Hawlucha watched a Rhyhorn race.

_Flashback_

_A group of Rhyhorn racers were running by, with the woman taking the lead. Her Rhyhorn and herself made it to the finish line, winning the race. The crowd cheered for the woman and her Rhyhorn. Among the crowd, was nine year old Yuki, with his Hawlucha._

_The two had been invited to watch the tough Rhyhorn race, after putting up a good battle against elite trainers. Yuki watched in amaze as the race was over. "Wow! Hawlucha! Did you see that?" Yuki asked, pointing to the racers. "Lucha! Haw!" Hawlucha cried out, grinning._

_Yuki watched back, seeing the woman take off her helmet. Yuki ran down to meet the woman, with Hawlucha running after him. Just as the woman was about to leave, the duo managed to catch up to her. "Miss! That was awesome!" Yuki exclaimed. The woman looked down, smiling at young Yuki._

_"Did you see it, kid?" The woman asked. Yuki nodded happily, with Hawluca grinning. The woman chuckled as she took her Rhyhorn off the track. "And Grace wins it again! Her winning streak in Rhyhorn races can't be beat!" The announcer announced. Yuki perked his head up to hear the name._

_So... This woman's name was Grace. Grace looked back at the two, smiling. "Do you enjoy Rhyhorn races?" Grace asked. Yuki fidgeted with his fingers before nodding slowly. "I enjoy it, but... I'd prefer becoming the top Trainer in Kalos!" Yuki explained. Grace smiled as she ruffled Yuki's hair._

_"I see... Well, I have a daughter of mine that has a dream of becoming a racer! I'm sure one day, you'll see her race soon someday, like me!" Grace promised, smiling at the energetic boy. "I will, Mrs. Grace!" Yuki replied, with a swift nod. "Hawlucha!" Hawlucha agreed._

_Flashback End_

Yuki snapped out of his daydreaming before heading onto the next town. Hawlucha followed behind, looking at the Hawlucha Boy curiously. "Cha?" Hawlucha asked. Yuki widened his eyes, looking at his partner. "Sorry, Hawlucha. I was just remembering the last time we saw a race." Yuki apologized.

Hawlucha accepted it, by nodding. So, with that, the two kept on walking until they reached the village. "This must be Odyssey Village..." Yuki whispered, looking around. As he and Hawlucha were walking by, one kid let out a yell. "Look! It's that Hawlucha Boy!" One boy called out.

Soon, few other people grew amazed and surprised to see Yuki in person. Yuki blushed as he and his Wrestling Pokémon kept on walking. Hawlucha jumped onto the fence, where he saw the starting line. "Lucha..." Hawlucha replied. "Amazed, partner? It's been a while, hasn't it?" Yuki asked.

Hawlucha nodded, before jumping back down, next to Yuki. "Hey! Yuki!" Ash called. Both Yuki and Hawlucha turned to see Ash, Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie running towards him. "You didn't have to run off like that!" Ash panted, catching his breath. Yuki twitched, glaring at Ash.

"Hawlucha and I didn't run off. You four were going too slow, if you haven't noticed." Yuki muttered. The other four all laughed nervously, before watching the race besides Yuki and the Wrestling Pokémon. They all watched on the plasma screen, which showed on how the race was going on in progress.

"Things are heating up on day two, on this exciting Rhyhorn race! In the lead, is number five, Ian!" The MC announced. Ash grinned brightly of seeing the race. "Wow! A Rhyhorn race! Never seen one before!" Ash exclaimed. "Rhyhorn races are really popular in the Kalos region." Clemont explained.

"This is so awesome to watch!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed. "Rhyhorn are so cute, too!" Bonnie exclaimed. Yuki sweat dropped at that. _"Rhyhorn? Cute?..."_ Yuki thought, sighing in disappointment. "You know, they even have special Rhyhorn races in bigger cities! This course is kinda actually easy!" Serena stated.

Ash turned to Serena in amazement. "Really? You sure know a lot!" Ash exclaimed. "Well, I guess so..." Serena replied, unsure about it. While Serena explained about the race, Yuki made some thoughts to himself. _"I wonder... What... My family was... We're they trainers, breeders, doctors, or racers?" _Yuki thought.

Yuki looked up at the sky, thinking of his passed away parents. _"Mom... Dad... What were your goals?"_ Yuki thought, trying to make out their faces. As his thought was gone, Officer Jenny explained of the incoming race. "There's a special Rhyhorn race anyone can participate in tomorrow." Officer Jenny stated.

She turned to both Yuki and Ash. "Ash? Yuki? If you two are interested, you might want to give that race a try!" Officer Jenny suggested. Ash grew pumped up, after hearing that. "You mean it?... Great! I'm in!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed with a smile.

Yuki smiled lightly, as he nodded. "Alright. I'd like to give it a try." Yuki replied. So, with that, Officer Jenny led the group to where a group of Rhyhorns were. "Choose your Rhyhorn for the race from these right here!" The keeper stated. "Cool!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika!" Pikachu said in amazement.

"Go ahead, you two. Pick any Rhyhorn that interests you." The keeper called. "Could we really choose our own Rhyhorn?" Yuki asked, looking at the keeper. The keeper smiled with a nod. Ash then made a thought, deciding on who to choose. "Well, I need to get back to work! Have a great race, Ash! Yuki!" Officer Jenny called.

She waved to the group, walking back to her post. "We will! Thanks for everything, Officer Jenny!" Ash thanked. As the officer left, everyone looked back at the Rhyhorn. "Wonder which one I should choose?" Ash asked himself. He got into the Rhyhorn pen, looking at every Rhyhorn.

Bonnie squealed out loud. "Each one of them is so cute!" Bonnie exclaimed. Yuki turned to Bonnie with a bored look. "When you say cute, you mean tough, right?" Yuki asked. "Lucha?" Hawlucha asked as well. "Nope! I say they're cute!" Bonnie argued, sticking out her tongue.

Both fighters sweat dropped, shaking their heads. "Whatever..." Yuki mumbled. Just then, Ash walked around a Rhyhorn, approaching it from behind. Serena quickly stopped the Kanto trainer with that. "Ash! Don't do that!" Serena shrieked. Ash grew startled, before stopping.

"If you approach a Rhyhorn from behind, it might begin to panic, and then run! Do this." Serena explained. She carefully began to walk over, demonstrating it to Ash. "Come in from the front, and move very slowly!" Serena called. As she gently moved to the Rhyhorn, the Rock Type had calmed down.

It let Serena rub its horn with a relaxed look. "There, there! It's okay!" Serena assured. Yuki blinked in amazement, as Ash grew surprised. "See?" Serena asked, looking at Ash. "Amazing..." Ash replied, with wide eyes. "Pika..." Pikachu agreed.

Yuki walked over, getting near a Rhyhorn that was next to the one Serena's near at. The Rock Type glanced at Yuki, as Yuki gently placed his hand on Rhyhorn's horn. The Rhyhorn growled happily, with a smile. "Cautious, are you?" Yuki asked gently. Hawlucha watched from Yuki's shoulder.

The others saw Yuki with his Rhyhorn. "Cool, Yuki! You're getting the hang of it!" Ash exclaimed. "Pikachu!" Pikachu replied in amazement. Yuki blinked in surprise, before seeing Ash behind him. "I learned from a certain someone." Yuki explained, continuing to rub Rhyhorn's horn.

Ash nodded in acceptance before petting the Rhyhorn he chose. "Nice to meet your Rhyhorn!" Ash called. "Rhy!" Rhyhorn growled with a nod. Clemont grew amazed with the Vaniville girl. "Wow! Serena! You're so good at handling Rhyhorn!" Clemont complimented. Serena blushed with that.

"Thank you. See, the truth is, my mother is a Rhyhorn racer, and she made sure I knew how to handle them from the time I was a little girl!" Serena giggled. This gave Yuki a familiar feeling. _"Serena's mother? A Rhyhorn racer? Could it be...?"_ Yuki thought, remembering Grace's words.

_"I see... Well, I have a daughter of mine that has a dream of becoming a racer! I'm sure one day, you'll see her race soon someday, like me!" _Grace's words echoed in his mind. The thought made Yuki wonder. Could Serena be the daughter that Grace was talking about last year?

"Whoa! Does that mean you want to be a Rhyhorn racer too, Serena?" Ash asked. Serena grew startled with the question and made some thoughts. "Well... Rhyhorn racing is fine, but I wonder... There maybe something I might like to do even more! So, I haven't made any decision just yet!" Serena explained.

"If you ask me, I'd say it sounds like you want to find your own path!" Clemont guessed. Serena turned and smiled, while nodding. Ash then had an idea. "Hey, Serena? Since you know so much about Rhyhorn racing, do you think you could teach me some of the basics like the rules and how to ride?" Ash asked.

Serena blinked several times, before trying to see what Ash wanted. "You mean... me?" Serena asked. Ash smiled and nodded. "Yeah! Please?" Ash requested. Serena grew unsure about this and made some thoughts. That's when Clemont came into the conversation.

"You have so much experience, it would really be a great help. We don't know anything at all!" Clemont explained. "Please, Serena? You're the expert!" Bonnie pleaded. Serena thought again, before turning to the Hawlucha Boy. Yuki blinked and shrugged his shoulders, with a smile.

"Well... I guess so..." Serena stammered, with a sad smile. "Alright!" Ash exclaimed, feeling excited about this.

**Later...**

Serena ran out of the dressing room, ready for the lesson. "Okay! I'm all set!" Serena called. She wore a pink suit, with two hearts on her right leg. Clemont and Bonnie grew amazed. "You look great!" Bonnie exclaimed. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. Serena giggled, turning to show the siblings.

"It suits you!" Clemont chuckled. "Aw, thank you! I sewed these patches suit just for fun!" Serena explained. "Wow! They're so cute!" Bonnie squealed. Just then, Yuki came out of his suit, which was black, with a fist patch on his left leg. "Hey! How do I look?" Yuki asked.

The three smiled with glee. "You look perfect in it!" Clemont complimented. "Lucha! Haw!" Hawlucha replied with a bright grin. "Thanks. I sewed this fist patch myself, just like with Serena's heart patches." Yuki explained. Serena grew surprised of hearing that. "Do you sew?" Serena asked.

Yuki blinked, before turning away. "So, what if I do?" Yuki asked, mumbling to himself. Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena smirked with an apology look. "Ash! Look!" Serena called. But, to her dismay, Ash wasn't paying attention to her, as he wore his blue suit. "Awesome! Looking good!" Ash exclaimed.

Serena then put her hands on her hips with a small smile. "They call it Rhyhorn race fashion!" Serena explained. Ash laughed, feeling happy about his blue Rhyhorn racing suit. He looked all over on the suit, before looking to the others. "How do I look?" Ash asked. "Perfect!" Bonnie exclaimed.

That was when Ash's lesson for the Rhyhorn race began. "First, you approach the Rhyhorn slowly, so you won't startle it!" Serena explained. "Okay..." Ash nodded as he tiptoed up to the Spike Pokémon. When he got close enough, Serena continued. "Next, you put your foot on here, and boost yourself up!" Serena continued.

"Like this?" Ash asked. He boosted himself up, but too much. It caused him to fall next to Rhyhorn. Ash let out a yelp, before falling on his back. Serena face palmed, as Yuki have a deep sigh. He went over to the Rhyhorn he chose and carefully boosted himself up. Carefully, he now rode on the Rhyhorn.

"Are you okay?" Clemont asked. The Hawlucha Boy turned to see Ash grunting as he got up. "Agh... Even getting on one of these is even tougher than I thought!" Ash grunted. Yuki tapped his feet onto the Rhyhorn, giving it the signal to move. Rhyhorn moved slowly, next to Ash's Rhyhorn.

"That can be, when you don't have any experience in riding on one." Yuki stated. Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie looked at Yuki in amazement. "Oh wow! You did it so fast!" Bonnie exclaimed. Yuki blinked several times, before cocking his head. "Actually, I did it on my first try." Yuki muttered.

"Lucha!" Hawlucha replied in agreement. The others laughed nervously, before apologizing for not noticing. The Hawlucha Boy then turned to Ash. "It takes a lot of practice in order for you to get better." Yuki explained. Ash then got into a soldier position, and nodded.

"Right! Practice!" Ash agreed.

Later, Ash tried again several times, before falling several times. "Oh no..." Bonnie muttered. "Pika Pika..." Pikachu sighed. Yuki, still riding on his Rhyhorn came over. "This is getting hopeless... Are you even trying? Or are you just messing around?" Yuki asked. "Hawlucha!" Hawlucha scolded Ash.

Ash laughed nervously, before getting up.

Serena and Yuki both made a decision of joining Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie on their journey. But, when they came over to where a Rhyhorn race is about to start tomorrow, what will the possibilities that either Ash or Yuki will win the race? Stay tuned for some more!

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Karate Chop, Aerial Ace, Double Team)**

**Heracross: (M): (Protect, Swords Dance, Megahorn, Brick Break)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**


	8. The Rhyhorn Race Sabotaged?

**Chapter 8: The Rhyhorn Race Sabotaged!?**

Last time on "Pokémon Kalos Journey", Yuki and Serena were left to make decisions of what to do. After a little encouragement from Bonnie and Hawlucha, the two agreed to go along with Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie for the journey. They decided that they had to stop in Lumiose City first to get to Cyllage City.

As they were walking, Yuki accidentally left the others behind, while running into a race that was known as the Rhyhorn race. At Odyssey Village, after he reunited with the others, Officer Jenny recommended that Ash and Yuki should participate in one of the special races, making Ash pumped up.

But, even with Serena's teachings, Ash flunked in her lessons, while Yuki carried on, passing the test immediately. Now, the training for the race continues, as both boys continue to work on their Rhyhorn racing practice for the special race.

Ash had fallen down on the ground after many attempts to get onto Rhyhorn. Yuki, Clemont, and Bonnie watched sadly, with Yuki already completing his training. "Oh no..." Bonnie muttered. "Pika Pika..." Pikachu sighed. Yuki, still riding on his Rhyhorn came over.

"This is getting hopeless. Are you even trying? Or are you just messing around?" Yuki asked, narrowing his eyes. "Hawlucha!" Hawlucha scolded Ash. Ash laughed nervously, before getting up. Clement folded his arms, making a thought. "There's got to be a trick for doing it right!" Clemons stated.

Ash panted as he looked at Serena. "Do you think you can show me how it's done, Serena?" Ash asked. Serena blinked in surprise, before turning away, unsure. "Huh? Uh..." Serena stammered. Ash then got fed up with the stuttering, explaining the matter to the Vaniville girl.

"Come on! If I don't know how to get on, how am I going to be able to enter the race!?" Ash asked, making fists of determination. Serena then gave a sigh, and nodded. "Okay... Now, watch me closely!" Serena called. Ash nodded as Serena began her lesson. Yuki got off of his Rhyhorn to watch with Hawlucha.

Serena then boosted herself up, getting on the Spike Pokémon. "Do this... And you're up!" Serena called. Everyone, except Yuki grew amazed. "That's great!" Ash exclaimed. "Serena, you're awesome!" Bonnie exclaimed. "Dedenne!" Dedenne agreed happily. "Well, I'm certainly impressed!" Clement stated.

Hawlucha grew amazed as well, as Yuki continued to watch. As compliments got to Serena, she lightly blushed. "Really?" Serena asked. "You are doing great, like the others said, Serena." Yuki agreed. Serena smiled as she continued the lesson with confidence in herself.

"And, when you want your Rhyhorn to walk, signal it lightly with your feet!" Serena called. She tapped her feet on Rhyhorn's hard body, giving it the signal to move. Yuki gave a sigh. To him, this was all easy stuff, not to Ash, that is. The Rhyhorn began to move, impressing the others.

"Whoa! Look at it go! So cute!" Bonnie squealed. "Perfect form!" Clement exclaimed. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. "Okay, so... How do you run?" Ash asked. "How do you run?" Serena asked. Suddenly, as she asked, the Rhyhorn began to go wild. Serena shrieked as she was being moved around by the Spike Pokémon.

"Eeeek!" Serena screamed as she was tossed to the ground, with a big force by Rhyhorn. Everyone gasped to see this. "Serena!" Ash called. "What happened!?" Clemont asked. Yuki blinked in surprise. "Lucha?" Hawlucha asked. Yuki sweat dropped, seeing of what is happening now.

The Rhyhorns all began to gather around Serena, much to her surprise. "Ah!" Everyone gasped, as all the Rhyhorns covered Serena. They seem to be doing something to the girl. Yuki ran to help her out, until he heard laughing. When he and Hawlucha got closer, she was actually laughing!

The Rhyhorns were all licking her in affection, causing it to tickle Serena. Ash got close to see what was happening as well. "Stop! Stop! That tickles... That tickles! Ha ha ha ha ha!" Serena laughed. Ash grew bewildered of what was happening. "What's going on?" Ash asked. Clemont came over, and laughed nervously.

"It looks like... She's laughing! The Rhyhorn seem to really like Serena!" Clemont guessed. Yuki chuckled to himself, until he felt a brute force from behind. Yuki let out a surprised yelp, as he landed next to the surrounded Serena. "Yuki!" Ash and Clemont called. "Hawlucha!" Hawlucha called in shock.

Then, just like with Serena, some of the other Rhyhorn began to lick Yuki in affection. The Hawlucha Boy tried his best not to laugh. "Pfft... Th-That's... Really enough!" Yuki snickered, trying to hold his laughter. Hawlucha smiled, sighing in relief that Yuki was safe, rather than being attacked.

Yuki couldn't take it anymore, as he began to laugh. Serena laughed along, too, also being licked. Just as they were laughing, Bonnie pouted with jealousy. "Hey! That's no fair! I want all those cutie Rhyhorn to tickle me, too!" Bonnie squealed happily. She ran to where Yuki and Serena were being licked by the Spike Pokémon.

"Wow... Look at that..." Clemont chuckled nervously, sweat dropping. Bonnie joined in the laughing and the fun, as one of the Rhyhorns nuzzled her. "So cute! Rhyhorn are such sweeties!" Bonnie giggled happily. As Bonnie was having fun, Yuki gave a sigh, wiping the dust off of him.

He couldn't remember the time like this when he laughed so hard. It was only the time when Hawlucha pounced him down playfully, tickling him with no mercy, one and a half year ago.

**Later...**

It was sunset, as the lessons were finished. Ash was now dealing with the Rhyhorn controlling and the riding by himself. As Yuki, Bonnie, and Serena all got out of the Rhyhorn pen, they were a bit dirty. "Now, we're all both in a muddy mess!" Serena giggled. Yuki sighed, looking at his dirty Rhyhorn suit.

"I'm going to have to take a shower when we get back inside." Yuki chuckled. "Yeah, but it was so fun!" Bonnie squealed. Hawlucha held onto Yuki's right shoulder, seeing him filthy. "Haw..." Hawlucha sighed, smirking on how dirty Yuki was. The Hawlucha Boy blushed in embarrassment.

"Come on... Stop it, Hawlucha." Yuki replied, embarrassed. "Whoa! Ah!" Ash yelled. Clemont turned to see Ash holding on, while Rhyhorn was trying to toss Ash off of him. "You've almost got it! That's the way!" Clemont shouted. Bonnie cheered for Ash fro his training.

Yuki and Serena turned to see the progress. "Yeah! Ride 'em, Ash!" Bonnie cheered. As Ash was practicing, he shakily turned to the others as he was still training. "Whoa! Ugh! How... Am I... doing!?" Ash stammered. Serena glared at Ash, giving him yells and warnings.

"Close your mouth! You'll bite your tongue! Keep going! Be one with Rhyhorn!" Serena yelled. "O-Okay!" Ash panicked as he held on tight. Serena then widened her eyes, realizing of what she had said.

Suddenly, the Rhyhorn began to walk of where the water is, as Ash held on. As the Spike Pokémon stopped, it lowered its head on the water pen, drinking some water. Ash panted, growing amazed. "Wow... It worked!" Ash exclaimed. The others smiled at the Kanto trainer.

"Way to go, Ash!" Clemont complimented. Bonnie smiled happily, looking at Rhyhorn, then at Ash. "Yeah! Now, you're all ready to ride in the race!" Bonnie exclaimed. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed, snuggling on Ash's neck. Ash grinned and got off of Rhyhorn.

Yuki smiled lightly at that. Now, like Bonnie had said, Ash was ready to participate in the race tomorrow. "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. And that's what you did!" Clemont explained, stating up some advice. Ash grinned and nodded. He turned to Rhyhorn, who kept drinking.

"Let's do the same thing tomorrow in the race!" Ash replied. "Rhy!" Rhyhorn growled. Ash laughed, smiling at the Spike Pokémon. "Ha ha ha! You're awesome, Rhyhorn!" Ash exclaimed, petting Rhyhorn. The Hawlucha Boy watched as Hawlucha got onto his right shoulder.

Yuki gave a sigh as he looked at Hawlucha. "This guy never learns when to give up, does he? His persistence is very high." Yuki replied to his partner. "Lucha." Hawlucha agreed with a knowing look. Then, the two of them looked up at the orange sky. The sun looked beautiful, when setting.

**That night...**

In the Pokémon Center, near the Rhyhorn racecourse, everyone was fast asleep, sleeping in their beds. Everyone, except Serena, that is. Yuki noticed when he woke up, rubbing his eyes. "Ugh... It's still dark out... Hm?" Yuki started, then looked at the empty bed. He widened his eyes at the sight of Serena was not in her bed.

The Hawlucha Boy got out of his bed quietly, so he wouldn't wake the others. He glanced at Hawlucha, who was sleeping, feeling very relaxed. Yuki smiled as he placed the big blanket on his partner. Just as he was about to look for Serena, he saw Ash and Pikachu sleeping in a goofy way.

They seemed to be sleeping well as well, but a bit crooked, much to Yuki's look. He crept over to the two, and moved the blankets onto them, completely, except their face, trying to make them comfortable. Once that was done, he walked around the room to search for Serena.

As he walked, he saw a bright light. It was coming from the kitchen, as Yuki crept closer to the door. As he took a peek, there was Serena, along with Fennekin. The Vaniville girl seemed to be making something in the kitchen. A sweet smell drafted out of the door, s Yuki took a sniff at it.

_"Cookies? Is this what she is trying to make?... Well, whatever it is, it smells really good..."_ Yuki thought, thinking of baked cookies. Yuki looked back at the door, seeing Fennekin looking at her trainer. "Fennekin!" The Fire Type squeaked. Serena motioned her starter to stay quiet.

"We need to stay quiet." Serena whispered. "Fennekin..." Fennekin nodded, covering her mouth with her paw. Serena took the batch of cookies into the oven, smiling. "I hope they turn out alright!" Serena giggled. She closed the oven, waiting for the cookies to be fully baked.

At the same time, Yuki walked into the kitchen. "Serena? What are you and Fennekin doing, still up?" Yuki asked. This startled both Serena and Fennekin as they sighed in relief. "Hi, Yuki... Um... I'm just making some cookies for all of us to eat for tomorrow." Serena explained, looking away.

The turn made Yuki confused as he tried to look at Serena. "What are you turning away for? Is something wrong?" Yuki asked. Serena squeaked in surprise, and immediately shook her head. "Oh no! Sorry... I was just thinking on how they met taste after they're all baked..." Serena half-lied.

Both Yuki and Fennekin looked at Serena, confused, before understanding the words. "Alright then. I'll be heading back to bed, then. I'll see you tomorrow." Yuki yawned, stretching up. Serena nodded with a smile as she turned back to the oven, giving Yuki a little wave, as Yuki left the kitchen.

**The next morning...**

It was a bright day, as the Rhyhorn race was about to start. "Folks, welcome to the Rhyhorn race's final day! The day when any racer can join in!" The MC announced. Fans of the race watched on their seats, as the six Rhyhorn racers, including Ash and Yuki were all on their Rhyhorns.

They lined up, ready for the start call. "Yay! Ash! Yuki! You're going to win!" Bonnie cheered. "Dedenne!" Dedenne cheered along. The two boys smiled at their friends. "Thanks! I'll do my best!" Ash thanked. "We'll both do our best for this one, obviously." Yuki smirked.

Pikachu agreed on Ash's shoulder, as Hawlucha watched at the sidelines with Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie. "Lucha! Hawlucha!" Hawlucha called his trainer. Yuki winked at his Wrestling Pokémon, as he got ready. "Get set, GO!" The MC shouted. The green flag gave the sign, as the race began!

The four Rhyhorn racers went ahead, as Yuki trailed close behind. Unfortunately, Ash yelped as Rhyhorn rocked again, like yesterday. A few seconds later, Ash's Rhyhorn was off. The others on the sidelines all sweat dropped. "That's not a good start for Ash..." Bonnie sighed.

"I hope the two of them will be okay..." Serena sighed, concerned. Clemont made some thoughts. "I wonder..." Clemont replied. "Hawlucha." Hawlucha replied, looking close.

Back at the racers, Yuki was still trailing behind, close to the other racers as he noticed that Ash was behind him. "Okay! Time to catch up, and take the lead! Let's go!" Ash called. "Pika Pi!" Pikachu agreed. Rhyhorn began to speed up, catching up to Yuki's Rhyhorn.

The Hawlucha Boy smirked, as he signaled Rhyhorn to speed up as well. "As if we would let you, Ash! Keep it up, Rhyhorn!" Yuki called. Rhyhorn nodded as he ran faster.

Later, back at the sidelines, little time has passed as the race had continued. Clemont, Serena, Bonnie, and Hawlucha watched the security cameras, until one of them had gone black. This left a surprise to everyone. "What happened?" Serena asked. "Must be a technical glitch!" Clemont guessed.

But then, just as Clemont made his guess, other cameras started going out. "Uh oh. We lost our live feed! Something must've happened on the course! But what!?" The MC announced, also shocked of the blackout. The blackout caused the three to be worried. "Poor Ash and Yuki..." Serena replied.

Clemont got up and began to head to the course. "We should go investigate!" Clemont called. Hawlucha ran ahead, with Serena, Bonnie, Dedenne, and Fennekin running after the two.

Back to Ash and Yuki, they were neck and neck as they were racing throigu the woods, which was part of the Rhyhorn racecourse. But, for some reason, they didn't see any other racers. "That's weird. Where are all the other Rhyhorn?" Ash asked. "Pika?" Pikachu wondered along.

The Electric Mouse went to Rhyhorn's horn to look around close. Suddenly, as if in a warning, Yuki widened his eyes, giving Rhyhorn the signal to stop. "Rhyhorn! Ash! Stop!" Yuki yelled. Ash grew startled with the fall, but kept on going. Yuki's Rhyhorn stopped suddenly, confused with the call.

Just then, as Ash's Rhyhron raced through, a glowing net flew into the air, capturing Ash in a bind! Ash let out a yell as he was forced to the ground by the net. "Pika Pi!" Pikachu called. Just then, more surprises came as a glowing box trapped Pikachu and Rhyhorn, turning into a cage.

Both Yuki and Ash gasped as the Hawlucha Boy got off of his Rhyhorn. As he got off, another net came flying by, this time towards Yuki. The Hawlucha Boy dodged the net, making it useless. "What's going on around here!?" Ash demanded. Suddenly, as the Kanto trainer turned, he gasped.

Yuki also turned to see that the other Rhyhorn racers were tied up together in a tree. The Rhyhorns were all in cages, lined up like a train. "Argh! You just missed that other twerp!" A woman's voice called out angrily. The two boys turned to see the culprits. There were two people in uniforms with a R on it.

A Meowth and a Wobbuffet stood next to them. "Who said that!?" Ash snapped. The people sneered as they began their motto.

"Prepare for trouble, who do you think?"

"And make it double, with a nod and a wink!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reaches to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"And James!"

"Team Rocket, blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

Ash grew angry as Yuki grew confused. "Team Rocket? Some enemies of yours?" Yuki asked, seeing the obvious. "Yeah! They're a bunch of crooks who always steal Pokémon!" Ash explained. Then, the Kanto trainer turned to the evil trio. "You guys always try to mess everything up!" Ash snapped.

James sneered and took out a remote. "Pish posh. We win. And you lose!" James sneered. He pressed on the button, which caused the cage with Pikachu and Rhyhorn to connect with the others. Meowth snickered as he leapt onto the front car. "All aboard the Rhyhorn Express! Do we have Rhyhorn? Yes!" Meowth sneered.

Yuki grew surprised with Meowth talking, but glared at the criminals. "Hold it! What do you plan on doing with those Rhyhorn?" Yuki demanded. Jessie glared at Yuki, and made the answer. "It's such a bore if you have to ask! They'll help us conquer the world, silly!" Jessie laughed.

James took out a Pokéball. "Inkay! Prepare our escape!" James called. The Revolving Pokémon appeared, squirting ink at Yuki's eyes. "Argh! My eyes! I can't see!" Yuki grunted, trying to rub the ink off of him. "No! Yuki!" Ash gasped. Team Rocket laughed as they began to make their escape.

"And don't forget Pikachu, that will help, too!" James added. They evilly waved goodbye at the two boys as Ash struggled and Yuki rubbed his eyes. "Since you're all tied up and blind, we bid you bye bye!" Jessie cackled. "I want Pikachu back!" Ash demanded. But, to his anger, he was ignored.

"You fools won't get away- Gah!- With this!" Yuki snapped angrily. Just then, as in a miracle, a couple of Mud Shots attack appeared, destroying the engines. Meowth let out a yelp of surprise. Jessie and James all fell off the train in a surprised call. "Ugh... Check, please..." Meowth grumbled.

As Meowth wiped the mud off of his face, Bunnelby popped out of the ground. "Way to go, Bunnelby!" Clemont called. The evil trio turned to see Clemont panting with sweat. The inventor wiped the sweat off of his face and grinned. "Looks like we made it in time!" Clemont panted.

"Clemont!" Ash called in relief. Yuki perked his head up to hear Clemont, as he kept on trying to rub the ink off of his eyes. As he was doing that, Bonnie, Serena, Hawlucha, and Fennekin ran by. "Ash! Yuki!" Serena called. "Are you two okay?" Bonnie asked. The two boys turned to see the girls and the Pokémon.

Hawlucha ran over to Yuki as Ash smiled. "Serena! Bonnie! Wow! Am I glad to see you!" Ash exclaimed. Hawlucha rubbed the rest of the ink off of Yuki, giving his sight back. "Thanks, buddy." Yuki thanked. "Haw." Hawlucha replied with a nod, relieved that his trainer was okay.

Clemont and Bunnelby ran over as Clemont checked the sight. "I had a feeling something bad was happening, but I never imagined it would be like this!" Clemont explained. Bonnie pouted angrily, seeing the evil trio. "Bad is right! It's Team Rocket!" Bonnie shrieked angrily.

The evil trio recovered from the blow they had, glaring at the group. "Little brat! You'll pay for that mouth!" Jessie snapped angrily. Just then, a Pokéball opened from Yuki's belt as it revealed to be Litleo. "Lit! Litleo!" Litleo growled, glaring at Team Rocket. At the same time, Fennekin nudged on Serena's leg.

Both Yuki and Serena turned to their Fire Types, seeing of what they want. "Oh, right! Pikachu and the others are in trouble, and you want to help them! Is that right?" Serena asked. "Fen!" Fennekin nodded happily as she ran to face the evil trio. "Is it the same for you, Litleo?" Yuki asked.

Litleo nodded as she stood with Fennekin, both glaring at Team Rocket. "Okay then! Litleo! Use Ember!" Yuki called. "Fennekin! Ember!" Serena called. The two Fire Types shot their attacks at Team Rocket. Jessie and James screamed as they felt fire burning their bottom.

As they panicked, James accidentally dropped the remote, causing both him and Jessie to gasp. Clemont saw his chance to destroy it as he grabbed a rock and ran over. "Hah! For the future of science!" Clemont exclaimed. He smashed the remote, causing all the cages to disappear.

The evil trio began to panic as they backed away. "All of a sudden, I don't feel to so good!" Meowth explained. Jessie and James shook as they laughed nervously. "Feels... kind of... ratty out here!" Jessie stuttered. "They're feeling the winds of wipeout!" James shuddered.

All the Rhyhorns, including Yuki's glared at Team Rocket, preparing to charge. "Hey, relax! Getting upset is bad for our health!" Meowth exclaimed. But, the Rhyhorns all ignored Meowth as they charged, smashing the evil trio into the air. Team Rocket let out a scream as they disappeared.

"WE'RE BLASTING OFF INSTEAD!" Team Rocket screamed.

As they were gone, Ash was finally untied, as he got up, with Pikachu landing on his shoulder. "Awesome! Thank you, everybody!" Ash thanked. "Sure thing! Are you okayk you guys?" Clemont asked. Yuki sighed and nodded. "I guess so. Though there's a bit of ink on me..." Yuki muttered

Everyone laughed at the embarrassed Hawkucha Boy, until they heard Officer Jenny coming by with his motorcycle. "Is everyone here alright?" Officer Jenny asked. "Officer Menny!" Ash exclaimed. "Yes! We're all fine!" Clemont answered. "Bun!" Bunnelby agreed, jumping up.

Later, all the other Rhyhorn racers were untied, as Officer Jenny checked to make sure everyone was okay. "I need everybody to keep this are clear! I'll be coming to you individually to get your statements later!" Officer Jenny called. The other racers nodded as they went out of the racecourse along with their Rhyhorn.

Yuki gave a sigh. "I guess the race is over, then." Yuki muttered. Ash let out a grin and patted Yuki's back. "We're calling this a tie, okay?" Ash asked. Yuki smiled lightly and nodded. "Sure thing." Yuki agreed.

**Later...**

It was sunset as Serena introduced everyone to her mom. "Nice to meet you! My name's Ash! And this is my buddy, Pikachu!" Ash introduced. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed. "I'm Clemont! Hey there!" Clemont called, pushing Ash out of the way to see Serena's mom. That's when Bonnie pushed him out of the way.

"My name's Bonnie! This is Dedenne!" Bonnie exclaimed happily. Then, Serena got into the screen, showing her mother her starter. "Take a look! Fennekin! You see, Fennekin's my brand new partner!" Serena exclaimed. The Fire Type smiled at the woman, as Serena's mom smiled.

"Hm hm! Nice to meet you! I hope you'll take good care of my daughter!" Serena's mom chuckled. That's when Ash called out to Yuki. "Hey! Yu! You need to say hello as well!" Ash scolded, pulling Yuki into the screen. Yuki let out a yelp as he and Hawlucha were forced to see Serena's mother.

Both people widened their eyes to see each other again. "Mrs. Grace. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Yuki asked. "Yes... It surely was, Yuki. I see that you've met Serena!" Grace giggled. Serena grew shocked of this. "Mom. You know Yuki?" Serena asked. "Yes. He was the boy I was talking about to you after my race!" Grace answered.

Serena grew surprised, smiling. Then, Ash got into the screen, seeing Grace. "You know what Serena did? She taught me how to ride a Rhyhorn!" Ash explained. Serena gasped with that. "Ash! You didn't have to tell her that, didn't you?!" Serena scolded.

"Hey! It's the truth! And there's more! She told me to be one with Rhyhorn, and that helped the most!" Ash added. Serena pushed Ash out of the way, seeing her mom again. "Mom! Guess what!? You see, I've decided to travel with Ash, Yuki, and all of their friends! Isn't that the best?" Serena asked.

Grace smiled at that. "Really? That's great! Have a good time!" Grace giggled. The response left Serena surprised. "M-Mom?..." Serena asked. "I mean it. It'll be a wonderful experience for you. I'm sure." Grace answered.

**Later...**

Once the phone call was over, Serena ran out the door, where Yuki, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie were waiting. "Sorry for taking so long! I'm going with you! Isn't that great?" Serena asked. "Yeah. Is sure is!" Ash agreed. "Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed. "I'm sure this journey will be something we'll never forget about." Yuki stated.

"Lucha! Haw!" Hawlucha agreed. "We're gonna have so many fun adventures!" Clemont added. "And we'll be best friends!" Bonnie added along. "Dedenne!" Dedenne agreed. "We sure will!... Oh yeah! Ash! Yuki!" Serena called.

Both boys blinked in confusion as Serena took something from her pocket. "What's this?" Ash asked. He and Yuki took it and opened it. Inside the small pouch, were small cookies. Yuki picked one out and looked at it. "Are these...?" Yuki started. Serena nodded as Ash grew happy.

"Whoa! Cookies! They look awesome!" Ash exclaimed. He chomped on one, munching it. Serena showed a blush. "It's a gift, for all of your hard work! And also, a thank you, for when we were little!" Serena explained. Yuki looked up, and looked at Serena in a confused manner.

"When you were little?" Yuki asked. Serena blinked as she remembered. "Oh, right. You weren't there when I explained... Oh, well. I'll tell you about it later." Serena giggled. Yuki sighed and smiled, as he gave one of the cookies to Hawlucha. Hawlucha took it with thanks and gulped it up.

For Ash, he was choking on one of the cookies he ate. "Oh... Why just Yuki and Ash?" Bonnie pouted. "You're eating way too fast!" Clemont warned. Both Yuki and Serena sweat dropped as Ash pulled himself together. Serena frowned, then smiled again. She took out several more pouches.

She gave them to Bonnie and Clemont with a smile. "Don't worry! I made some for everybody as well!" Serena assured. "Yippee!" Bonnie squealed. "Wow! Thank you very much!" Clemont thanked. Yuki smiled as he looked up at the sky.

"Mom... Dad... If you were here, I'm sure you would be proud for what I'm doing. I made some new friends, and I'm going on a journey with Hawlucha and them! I wish I knew what you two were..." Yuki thought. Just then, he felt Ash waving his hand at his face. Yuki blinked as he grew startled.

"Hey, Yu! You feeling alright?" Ash asked. Yuki blushed at his new nickname. "Y-Yu? Where did you get that name?" Yuki asked. Everyone again laughed at Yuki's embarrassment as they all began their way.

And so, Yuki and Ash both had a tie, since the Rhyhorn race has been interrupted by the evil Team Rocket. But, with them out of the way, the journey is sure to be more amusing than it should be know! Stay tuned to find some more exciting parts!

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Double Team)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Megahorn, Brick Break, Protect)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Tackle, Headbutt, Take Down)**

Next Chapters:

**Chapter 9: To Groom Furfrou!**

**Chapter 10: Litleo's Grooming Battle!**

**Chapter 11: Clemont's Secret Revealed!**

**Chapter 12: VS Clembot! For The Lumiose Gym!**

**Chapter 13: Team Rocket's Lab Intrusion!**

**Future Chapter Preview: Chapter 49: A Best Friend's Return!**

Clemont sneered as he took out his new invention. "I thought we'd run into a situation precisely like this one! I call it 'The Precisely Even Cut-o-matic'!" Clemont explained. Bonnie sweat dropped at the name. "Precisely Even Cut-o-matic?" Serena repeated. "You think that could help?" Yuki asked.

"Lucha?" Hawlucha asked. "Yes! Like the name suggests, it'll eliminate the imperfection from eyeballing a cut, making it equal slices, to 0.01 mL precision!" Clemont explained. "Let's just hope it doesn't blow again..." Yuki muttered. Hawlucha sweat dropped, thinking of what might happen to the cake.

"There's just one piece! It's got to be right!" Ash reminded. Clemont nodded and began to insert his machine on the slice of chocolate cake. "Alright! Here we go-" Clemont started, but stopped. Suddenly, Ash felt something throwing him into the air.

"Waaaaah!" Ash screamed. Clemont, Yuki, Serena, and Bonnie all gasped in surprise as Ash landed on someone's arms. To Ash, it was furry and warm. "Ash!" Serena called. "Are you alright- What?!" Yuki started, then gasped.

The others gasped to see who was holding Ash. "It's an... An Infernape!" Clemont gasped. Ash widened his eyes to see Infernape, who was grinning at the Kanto trainer. Suddenly, Pikachu brightened up to a smile, as he ran off the table and ran past Ash and Infernape.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu exclaimed happily. "Wha... Pikachu!?" Ash gasped. Infernape held Ash into the air upside down, as Ash wailed. "What are you doing!?" Yuki snapped. "Haw!" Hawlucha agreed.

Just then, before anyone could react, there was a familiar voice. "Pikachu! It's been a long time." The voice called. Ash widened his eyes to hear the voice. As he looked upside down, his hat fell off as he saw who the person was.

He had black, spiky hair, gray sneakers, black wristbands, black fingerless gloves, a gray vest, dark jeans, and a black sleeveless shirt. He had a scar over his blue eyes, with a serious and cool face on him. "No way... Hikaru!?" Ash gasped. "Hey there. It's been a while, Ash." Hikaru smirked.

**To be known in Chapter 49!**


	9. To Groom Furfrou!

**Chapter 9: To Groom Furfrou!**

"Ha ha!" Bonnie giggled, seeing her reflection at the fountain water. "Bonnie!" Clemont called out. Bonnie then blinked, before seeing her older brother and her other friends. "Coming!" Bonnie called out happily. She ran over to the four trainers happily, running around.

Clemont gave a serious look at her sister, yet concerned one. "You're gonna get lost if you keep wandering off!" Clemont warned. "Ha ha ha! I'm fine!" Bonnie giggled, not getting her brother's concern. Suddenly, Bonnie stopped to see a Pokémon walking with an old man.

It looked to be in fashion of some sort. Bonnie squealed, seeing the Pokémon in sight. Ash grew amazed with the Pokémon. "Wow! I've never seen that Pokémon before!" Ash exclaimed. He took out his Pokédex as Yuki explained. "That, Ash, is a Furfrou." Yuki explained.

"A Furfrou?" Ash repeated. _"Furfrou, the Poodle Pokémon. Furfrou were assigned to a task of protecting kings who rule the Kalos region in ancient times."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed. Ash grew confused as he put the device away.

"It looks different than the one on the Pokédex..." Ash stated. Serena smiled and stepped up. "It probably went to the Groomer! There's a really famous Pokémon Groomer in this town! Look at this!" Serena explained.

She took out her guide device, showing Ash, Yuki, and Clemont a famous Groomer's shop. "Pokémon Groomer?" Ash asked. "You know, a shop where they groom Pokémon, but in a stylush way, like that Furfrou we saw." Yuki explained.

"Lucha Cha!" Hawlucha, Yuki's partner replied, supporting Yuki's words. "Right! And in the world of Pokémon Groomers, he's a super star!" Serena exclaimed, showing a picture of the famous groomer.

She gave a loving sigh, imagining on what he would be like. "Wish I could meet him!" Serena replied happily. At her words, Bonnie became happy with the thought, too. "Yeah! I wish I could meet him, too!" Bonnie exclaimed.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over Bonnie as Yuki widened his eyes. "Bonnie, look out!" Yuki yelled. He ran, getting Bonnie out of the way from the mysterious attacker. Bonnie shrieked in surprise as she fell down.

The two saw that the attacker was a normal Furfrou! Ash, Serena, and Clemont ran over to see if they were alright. "Bonnie!" "Yuki! Are you okay?" Clemont and Ash asked, as they ran over.

"Lucha?" Hawlucha asked, helping Yuki up. Yuki dusted his jacket, and looked at the Wrestling Pokémon with a smile. "I'm fine now, thanks." Yuki thanked, making an assuring smile.

Just then, a girl came by and gasped. She ran over with an apologetic face. "Ah! I'm so sorry! That Furfrou's with me!" The girl explained. She looked like a groomer of some sort.

Furfrou whimpered in a sad way, seeming to be apologizing to both Yuki and Bonnie. The girl gasped, seeing Bonnie's scraped knees, and Yuki's fingerless gloves torn off a little, with little scratches on them.

"Oh no! You two... Your knees and gloves are scraped!" The girl gasped. "Don't worry about us! We're fine!" Bonnie assured. Yuki nodded in agreement. "Yeah... Same here." Yuki replied.

**[Pokémon: XY Series Opening]**

**_I want to be the very best_**

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie are standing together on a hill)

(Ash's blue background shows him sharing a sandwich with Pikachu)

**_Like no one ever was_**

(Serena's pink background shows her choosing a hat while Fennekin runs around her)

_**To catch them is my real test**_

(Clemont and Bonnie's yellow and blue background shows Clemont inventing a machine, before it explodes as Bonnie run with Chespin and Dedenne)

_**To train them is my cause**_

(Yuki's green background shows him and Hawlucha sparring together as Litleo, Heracross, and Bulbasaur cheers)

_**Pokémon (Gotta catch 'em all), it's you and me**_

(Ash commands Pikachu as he dashes towards Yuki and Hawlucha with Quick Attack)

_**(Pokémon!)** _

(Clemont calls for attacks; Chespin uses Pin Missile, Bunnelby uses Dig)

**_I know it's my destiny_**

(Bonnie cheers; Dedenne uses Thundershock as Serena calls for attacks; Fennekin uses Ember)  
_  
**(Pokémon!)**_

(Yuki calls for attacks; Hawlucha uses Karate Chop, Bulbasaur uses Razor Leaf, Litleo uses Ember, Heracross uses Brick Break)

**_Yeah, you're my best friend_**

(Ash calls for attacks; Froakie uses Water Pulse, Fletchling uses Steel Wing, Pikachu uses Electro Ball)

**_In a world we must defend_**

(A Mega Evolution sign appears)

(Ash, Yuki, and the others run along in the city)

_**Pokémon** _

**_(The opening title appears)_**

_**(Gotta catch 'em all)**_  
_**Gotta catch 'em all**_  
_**Gotta catch 'em all!**_  
_**Pokémon!**_

_(Title opening ends)_

Clemont had bandaged Bonnie's knees, while the girl had wrapped Yuki's now bare hands with long bandages, much to his embarrassment. "That should do it..." Clemont replied. Bonnie smiled, checking her small bag.

"Dedenne, how are you doing?" Bonnie asked. The Electric-Fairy Type Pokémon yawned as it looked up to see Bonnie in a happy mood. The little girl then happily ran around, also seeing the girl and Furfrou.

"I'm so sorry. Really..." The girl apologized. "Don't worry! I'm fine!" Bonnie assured. "Bonnie means it!" Clemont assured, smiling nervously. Yuki flexed his fingers to see if they function perfectly or not.

They looked fine. Ash observed the normal Furfrou as he smiled. "Now, this is the Furfrou like the one on the Pokédex!" Ash exclaimed. The girl smiled sadly as she looked at her Pokémon.

"Furfrou still hasn't been groomed yet. I'm Jessica." Jessica explained. "My name's Ash! This is Pikachu!" Ash explained. "Pika Pikachu!" The Electric Type greeted Jessica. "My name's Yuki. Nice to meet you." Yuki replied. "Hawlucha!" Hawlucha replied.

"I'm Serena!" Serena replied. "I'm Bonnie! This is my big brother!" Bonnie explained, presenting Clemont as he said his name. Then, an idea came to the young girl's mind. "Ah! Jessica's a keeper! I mean, please take care of my brother!" Bonnie pleaded.

Clemont grumbled as his Aipom Arm device held her in the air, as he scolded his little sister. "Bonnie, stop! I told you not to do that again! So embarrassing..." Clemont snapped, groaning.

"I hope that you'll think about it! Please, Jessica?" Bonnie asked. Clemont sweat dropped, with Jessica looking puzzled as Yuki and Serena gave a confused look at Clemont's little sister.

"Oh dear..." Jessica replied. "Think about what, Bonnie?" Yuki asked. "Haw?" Hawlucha asked, asking the same thing. That's when Bonnie explained the situation as Clemont flushed madly.

"I can't look after my brother forever! So, it's my job to look for a dependable wife for him!" Bonnie explained. Clemont grumbled as he felt even more embarrassed now.

Later, everyone was having a walk as Jessica explained about her situation and plan. "You see, I'm studying to become a Pokémon Groomer!" Jessica explained. Serena grew amazed with that.

"Wow! Are you going to groom your Furfrou?" Serena asked. Jessica smiled sadly as she looked at her Pokémon. "I really want to, but... every time I tried to do anything with its fur, it runs off. I only tried to brush it a bit earlier, and that's when it ran away..." Jessica explained.

Ash nodded as he frowned a bit. "I get it now..." Ash replied, understanding the problem. "Furfrou are very intelligent and knows what they want... They won't listen to their trainer until they seem them as their partner." Jessica explained.

Bonnie turned to the groomer in training in question. "So, does that mean Furfrou doesn't see you as its real trainer yet?" Bonnie asked. The inventor glared at her little sister in scolding. "Hey! Bonnie!" Clemont scolded.

At that point, Bonnie immediately stopped and apologized. "I'm sorry." Bonnie replied, feeling sorry for the Groomer. Jessica smiled in reassurance. "It's okay, Bonnie. You've got it exactly right!" Jessica assured.

"Now I want to see how Pokémon Groomers style their Furfrou even more!" Serena stated. "I do too! I do too!" "Dedenne!" Bonnie and Dedenne called out, agreeing with Serena.

Jessica smiled as she sighed. "Why not see where I work? To make up for those scraped knees and hands." Jessica suggested. Everyone agreed to that, as Jessica led the group to a Groomer's shop.

As they got there, Jessica presented her working place. "This is the grooming salon, where I'm being trained!" Jessica explained. Ash recalled of the same place, as he turned to Serena.

"We've seen these before! Remember?" Ash asked. Before Serena could answer, Jessica opened the shop door as they all went inside. Inside, there was a man who was grooming a Furfrou.

Serena looked like she was about to squeal, seeing her Groomer star. It was the same man from her guide device. "Hey, look! That's the guy we saw on Serena's travel guide!" Ash exclaimed.

"Oh man... Talk about a lucky day and a coincidence!" Yuki chuckled. "Lucha." Hawlucha agreed, narrowing his eyes a bit. "It's him!" Serena squealed. As they got closer, the man noticed them as he went out of his office, and met up with them.

"Jessica! Are you finished taking your Furfrou for a walk?" The master Groomer asked. Jessica nodded, presenting the group. "Sherman, I'd like you to meet Yuki, Clemont, and Ash!" Jessica explained.

She then presented Serena and Bonnie, as Serena stared at Sherman. "... And Bonnie and Serena!" Jessica concluded. "I saw an article about you in the guidebook... Your grooming superstar! It's such an honor to meet you!" Serena explained.

She held his hand, as Sherman let out a chuckle. "I do think that superstar is a bit of an exaggeration..." Sherman assured. Serena smiled, before looking down at Sherman's grooming scissors.

"Huh... Look at all those scissors!" Serena replied, amazed. "They're all very interested in learning about Pokémon Groomers!" Jessica explained. Sherman smiled at that as he chuckled.

"Well, in that case, why don't you fill them in?" Sherman asked. "Sure!" Jessica replied. Everyone then headed inside the office, where they all saw a groomed Furfrou, much to their amazement.

Bonnie noticed a couple of berries, much to her surprise. "Look at all those berries!" Bonnie stated. With that, the apprentice groomer began to show the group on how Pokémon Groomers groom their Pokémon.

"You noticed! Well, Bonnie. There's a lot more to grooming Pokémon than simply grooming their fur! We give each Pokémon a thorough health exam. You can tell if the Pokémon is eating well, simply by feeling its fur! So, the amount of fur that gets cut, determines on how healthy it is!" Jessica explained.

Serena grew surprised of the many things needed to know. "You have to learn all about that, too?" Serena asked. Jessica smiled and nodded as she got up. "Learning about nutrition is a must! For example..." Jessica explained, taking a few berries out.

"We recommend a Rawst or a Lum Berry for when a Pokémon is not feeling well! And see, a Tamato Berry can help stimulate an appetite!" Jessica explained. Serena nodded happily, as Yuki made some thoughts.

Just before the Hawlucha Boy could make some questions, he saw Ash groaning, looking like he had overheated. "I feel like my head's going to explode..." Ash groaned. "Pika Pi..." Pikachu replied.

Yuki laughed nervously at the overheated Kanto trainer, as Hawlucha shook his head in disappointment. Then, Jessica moved onto the shampoo and the conditioners, where they are all stacked up on the shelf.

"We also have ten different kinds of shampoos and conditioners to choose from, depending on the fur quality of the client!" Jessica continued. Both Yuki and Serena looked at the collection in amazement.

"That's incredible..." Serena replied. "It's more than just incredible..." Yuki added. Hawlucha looked at the shelf in his satisfaction, seeing of what kinds of shampoos and conditioners there are.

"Take a look at the scissors and combs that we use! Each custom made for every style we're doing." Jessica explained. Serena and Bonnie grew amazed. "Dedenne, look at them all!" Bonnie called.

Dedenne came out of the bag, looking at the tools in interest. Just then, Sherman made a suggestion to everyone. "That reminds me... I just finished with two of my clients! Would you all like to have a peek?" Sherman asked.

"Sure!" The group exclaimed. The master groomer smiled, turning to his apprentice. "Jessica, please bring the Furfrou in!" Sherman called. The girl nodded as she ran to get the Furfrou.

Moments later, she came back with two Furfrous, that were already groomed. They both looked stylish, as they posed for everyone to see. The four trainers and the little girl grew amazed as Serena let out a squeal.

"WOW! They've got so much style!" Serena shrieked in happiness. Yuki took out his Kalos Pokédex to scan them again. Sure enough, it was the same thing on the Pokédex. "So, they're both Furfrou as well?" Ash asked.

"They don't look like the same kind of Pokémon at all!" Bonnie stated. Yuki looked at the two, then on his device as he smiled. "You can't judge anyone or underestimate them, just by appearance!" Yuki reminded, putting the Pokédex away.

"They're both just so elegant!" Serena exclaimed, taking a closer look. "You see, I want to style my Furfrou just like that! I just hope that it'll let me someday..." Jessica explained, looking at her Furfrou.

"Of course you'll get to style your Furfrou! This is all so dreamy!" Serena exclaimed, sighing happily. Sherman walked over, assuring to his apprentice. "She's right, Jessica! It's important to be confident. It is true, though, that her Furfrou is stubborn. It won't let her groom its fur at all." Sherman explained.

He gave a nervous chuckle, as Yuki looked at it. "Stubborn, huh..." Yuki repeated. Hawlucha looked at his trainer in question, as Yuki just shook his head. "I must be out of my mind..." Yuki chuckled to himself.

"Yeah. That's what she told us." Ash agreed. Sherman adjusted his glasses, smiling sadly. "It is my wish that Jessica and Furfrou's heart will become one someday! But still, there's no need to rush." Sherman assured.

Jessica smiled, having some thoughts about herself. "I guess..." Jessica agreed.

Just then, Sherman had an idea, as he turned to Ash and the Hawlucha Boy. "Wait! You two, is this your first time in the city?" Sherman asked. "Yes." "Yeah!" Yuki and Ash answered with a nod together.

"Can you show them around lunch break, Jessica?" Sherman asked. "I would, Sherman." Jessica agreed with a smile.

So, after the group and Jessica, with her Furfrou left, they toured around the city, seeing of what's here. "There's a spot with a beautiful view that's just up ahead!" Jessica explained.

"In that case, I'd like to see that view when we get there." Yuki replied. "Lucha!" Hawlucha remarked, wanting to see the view as well. "So do I!" Serena agreed happily. As they were walking, a couple of voices stopped Ash from walking.

"Why, hello there, Pikachu! Hawlucha!" The woman giggled. Both Yuki and Ash stopped to see who was calling them. "How would you two like to be our first shining star?" The man asked.

"Sparkly, dreamy, twinkly, glittering... It all serves up!" The trio chuckled. As the two boys looked, they looked to be a stylish groomer, as they looked at the two trainers, Pikachu, and Hawlucha.

As the two boys blinked in confusion, Serena and the others came by to see what was going on. "This is none other than the superstar hair-stylist, Jessalie!" The lavender haired man explained.

Serena blinked in confusion to this. "Hold on... Jessalie?" Serena asked. "Yes! Winner of the crown for best make-up! And the gold medal for styling!" The man explained. The strange looking girl gave her a trophy, supporting the man's words.

"And a golden scissor award for hair design!" The little girl added. The man took out a confetti as he chuckled. "And other achievements, two numerous dimensions!" The man concluded.

"Success for me is a piece of a designer's cake!" Jessalie assured. Ash grew amazed, while Yuki grew confused to this. Jessica grew confused as well to these news. "Why haven't I heard of any of this?" Jessica asked.

"A top hair-stylist, Jessalie has now become a Pokémon Groomer!" The man explained. Jessalie flashed her stylist glasses as she smirked. "That's right! Why not take a look at my creations?" Jessalie suggested.

So, everyone headed inside to see what Jessalie had in store for them as the exhibition show was about to begin. The room went dark as a light shined on the man.

"Watch Jessalie transform the most, unsightly Pokémon and enjoy the Wobbuffet Transformathon!" The man called. As he called out, a Wobbuffet came out, looking like a ship captain.

It showed its design to the group as it walked back behind the curtains for some more transformations. "Presenting... the curly crop!" The man called. Wobbuffet appeared again, showing its huge, rainbow curls.

Then, more transformations showed as Wobbuffet showed its hair, that looked like Fearow, and dressed as a girl, with a tone that sounded like a disguise. "They're all kind of boring..." Serena stated.

"The curly top was cute!" Bonnie exclaimed. Yuki, Clemont, and Serena looked at the girl with a sigh. There was no change to this girl at all. Just then, Jessalie came by, smirking.

"And that's only the tip of the styling iceberg! Get ready for the main act!" Jessalie called. "The Wobbufant!" The man called. Wobbuffet appeared again, with a long hat, with many designs on it.

It was also dressed as a lady in fashion as well! There were several more, like dressed as a spirit girl, a shopping lady, and a rich girl playing tennis. After those were shown, it went back behind the curtains.

"We are the last word in styling!" Jessalie assured. Both Yuki and Serena chuckled at those fashion designs. "That wasn't so bad." Serena giggled. Yuki shrugged as he chuckled along.

"When it comes to styling sass, we're the top of the class!" Jessalie assured. She then looked at Hawlucha and Pikachu. "You two! Pikachu and Hawlucha! Care to experience a small sample of my grooming magic?" Jessalie asked.

Pikachu sweat dropped as he nervously laughed, as Hawlucha shook his head with no interest. "Sorry... But, Hawlucha isn't that interested in fashion and all..." Yuki explained.

"Well, I think Pikachu looks fine just like this!" Ash assured. Bonnie pouted with that as she turned to both Serena and Yuki. "Serena! Yuki! How about Fennekin and Litleo? I already know those two are a cutie-pie, but maybe some styling will make it a more cutier-pie!" Bonnie suggested.

Yuki made some thoughts to it as Serena agreed to that. "That sounds like a good idea! Come on out, Fennekin!" Serena called. The Fire Type appeared, happily jumping onto Serena's lap.

"Fine... Litleo, come on out." Yuki sighed with no interest. Litleo appeared, landing on her trainer's lap. "How would you like to do some styling on my Fennekin and Yuki's Litleo?" Serena asked.

Jessalie sighed, looking like she was about to decline, when the man stopped him, whispering to him about something. After some talk, the woman agreed to do so. "I accept! My grooming skills are second to none! I'll happily style your Fennekin and Litleo!" Jessalie giggled.

She took the two Fire Types from Yuki and Serena's hands. As Serena thanked the woman, the group was suddenly pushed out of the salon! "Wha... What is the meaning of this!?" Yuki snapped.

"Lucha cha!" Hawlucha snapped, not liking it to be pushed. "Jessalie performs her magic in private, so please! Come back in an hour!" The man explained. Serena complained about this.

"But, I wanted to see her perform her magic!" Serena complained. The man waved his finger at the Vaniville girl as he refused any peeking. "Jessalie's grooming magic is an industry secret, so it stays hush hush!" The man scolded.

"But it'll only take an hour! Worth it to create a Fennekin and a Litleo fashion!" Jessalie assured. Both Yuki and Serena grew hesitant about this. The Hawlucha Boy bit his lips as he looked at Litleo.

The Fire-Normal Type was curious as she wagged her tail happily to see what this grooming is all about. "Tch... Fine... Have it your way..." Yuki muttered, not liking this pressure.

"Okay then... See you in an hour..." Serena sighed as the group left the salon to walk around the city more.

As they were walking, Serena gave a deep sigh. "I really wanted to see how Jessalie styles Fennekin..." Serena sighed. She turned to Yuki in question. "What about you, Yuki? Didn't you want to see Litleo groomed as well?" Serena asked.

"I don't know about you... But, I felt something weird in that fashion salon..." Yuki replied. "Haw?" Hawlucha asked, hanging onto the Hawlucha Boy's head.

"Really? Like what?" Serena asked. Before Yuki could answer, Ash pointed out, seeing someone familiar. "It's Officer Jenny!" Ash pointed out. The officer noticed them as they walked over.

"Thanks for all your help at the Rhyhorn race!" Serena thanked. Officer Jenny smiled as she shook her head. "You must be talking about my second cousin!" Officer Jenny chuckled.

She took out a picture of her and her Officer Jenny cousin and family. "Here's a picture of me when I was a cadet at attending the Officer Jenny Training Academy!" Officer Jenny explained.

So, Yuki, Ash and the others were on their way to the Cyllage City Gym as they met up with Jessica and her Furfrou, training to become a Groomer! Right now, Litleo and Fennekin are being groomed by a mysterious salon!

What could happen there after an investigation by Officer Jenny? Stay tuned to find out!

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Double Team)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 10: Litleo's Grooming Battle!**

**Chapter 11: Clemont's Secret Revealed!**

**Chapter 12: VS Clembot! For The Lumiose Gym!**

**Chapter 13: Team Rocket's Lab Intrusion!**

**Chapter 14: VS Mega Mega Meowth!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Serena: Fennekin! Hang on! I'm coming for you!

Ash: Stop right there, you crooks!

Yuki: Stop this madness right now!

Jessica: Oh no! Furfrou!

Jessie: Who's the famous groomer now?

James: Us! That's who!


	10. Litleo's Grooming Battle!

**Chapter 10: Litleo's Grooming Battle!**

Last time on "Pokémon Kalos Journey", the four trainers and the little girl met up with an apprentice Pokémon Groomer named Jessica, who was having some problems with her Furfrou at the time.

Jessica had introduced her teacher, who was Sherman, the Pokémon grooming superstar as Jessica explained the basics about being a Pokémon Groomer, and what materials and requirements are needed to become one.

When out for a walk, they met with a trio of Pokémon grooming superstar, Jessalie, who took Yuki's Litleo and Serena's Fennekin for a private grooming magic. As everyone left, they all met up with Officer Jenny, who wasn't the same Jenny as they thought she would be.

Officer Jenny showed everyone a photo of her with her sisters and cousins when they were at the Officer Jenny Training Academy. "Wow... There certainly are a lot of you..." Serena laughed nervously.

"It's just like with Nurse Joy..." Yuki stated. "Lucha Haw..." Hawlucha replied in agreement. "I knew it..." Ash muttered, sweat dropping. The officer put the photo away before asking the group.

"Now, if you don't mind, there's something I'd like to ask you all." Officer Jenny replied. "What's that?" Clemont asked. "Have you seen any con artists?" Officer Jenny asked. "Con artists?" Serena asked.

Yuki then widened his eyes, knowing of where this talk was talking about. "That's right! There's a woman who claims to be a Pokémon Groomer... But, when she gets a Pokémon, she and her gang vanishes!" Officer Jenny explained.

Now, Serena grew pale, as Ash narrowed his eyes. "Tell us more!" Ash requested. The officer nodded as she continued. "It's a group of four who likes to dress flamboyantly! Two wear flashy glasses." Officer Jenny described.

As Yuki, Ash, and Serena took a closer look at the picture, they saw a familiar group of people. "It's them!" Ash exclaimed. Yuki gritted his teeth as he looked back. "That could only mean that both Litleo and Fennekin are in trouble!" Yuki snapped.

Just then, a familiar voice called out to the group. Everyone turned to see who it was. It was Litleo! The Fire Type panted as she ran over to her trainer. "It's Litleo! Are you okay!?" Yuki asked.

"Lucha?" Hawlucha asked. Litleo nodded, but whimpered as she slumped her head sadly. "Oh no... Fennekin is in trouble now!" Serena gasped. With this, everyone headed back to the salon shop.

But, as they got there, the whole place was deserted and empty. "No way..." Ash whispered. "I guess we're too late..." Clemont replied, hating to admit it. "Are you sure this is where you met them?" Officer Jenny asked.

"Yes. They were here when we last saw them..." Yuki answered as he went inside, looking around. Litleo sniffed for clues as Hawlucha checked the corners. The others investigated the inside as well.

Just then, Furfrou sniffed, smelling a familiar scent. Jessica noticed as she turned to her Pokémon. "Furfrou, are you picking up their scent?" Jessica asked. "Fur, Furfrou." The Pokémon responded.

The Poodle Pokémon then ran out of the empty building, with Jessica chasing after him. "Furfrou! Wait for me!" Jessica yelled, running after her Pokémon. Ash glared to where the two left.

"Quick! We have to follow those two!" Ash called. Everyone agreed. Yuki held Litleo in his arms as the whole group ran after Furfrou, who led them to a nearby park, that was down by the steps.

Later, the Poodle Pokémon sniffed, as it stopped by the tail. The tail, which belonged to Meowth, yelped in surprise as he turned to see Furfrou. "Yikes! What's that call!?" Meowth yelped.

Jessalie and the assistant smirked of seeing the Pokémon. In truth, the two were actually Jessie and James in disguise! "It's a Furfrou!" James answered. "Ooh! Let's catch it!" Jessie suggested.

But, before they could do anything, familiar voices called out to Furfrou. "Furfrou!" Ash called. The evil trio looked to see Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Jessica, and Officer Jenny coming to them.

"Don't let them get away!" Serena called. Furfrou growled at the thieves as the group ran up to them. "Hey! Give Fennekin back!" Ash demanded. The evil trio smirked as they all took off their disguise.

"Prepare for trouble, pushy twerps!"

"And make it double, we're premo perbs!

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reaches to the star above!"

"Jessie!"

"And James!"

"Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare for one stylish fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Team Rocket!" Serena shrieked angrily. "Return the Pokémon you stole!" Officer Jenny demanded. "If you want them, you have to come and get them!" Meowth cackled. Yuki angrily took out a Pokéball and summoned his Pokémon.

"You asked for this! Let's go, Heracross!" Yuki called. "Manectric, let's go!" Officer Jenny called. Both Heracross and Manectric appeared, with Ash and Serena surprised of seeing the two.

"Whoa! Yuki's got Heracross!?" "Manectric?..." Ash and Serena asked as they both took out their Pokédexes. _"Heracross, the Single Horn Pokémon. Though gentle and docile, Heracross possesses great strength and power. Their favorite food is the fresh sap of leafy trees."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

"Manectric, the Discharge Pokémon. Manectric collects electricity from the air, creating a thundercloud above its head. Its mane gives off a strong electric current." Serena's Pokédex buzzed.

"Incredible..." Serena breathed out, amazed with the two powerful Pokémon. "Inkay! Gangway!" James called. The Psychic-Dark Type appeared, ready for some mischief.

"Use Thunderbolt!" "Heracross, use Megahorn!" Officer Jenny and Yuki called. The two shot their attacks, aiming it at Inkay, as James countered the order. "Dodge it!" James called.

Inkay dodged Thunderbolt, but was hit by Megahorn! Inkay recovered, however and bashed Heracross away, who hit Manectric from behind. The two grunted as they glared at their opponent.

"Manectric! Quick Attack!" Officer Jenny called. With a flash, Inkay was pushed back by Quick Attack, as James grew more frustrated. "Ah! Use Psybeam!" James called. Psybeam was shot, and it hit Manectric!

As the dust cleared, Manectric shot Discharge, which it hit Heracross directly! "No! Heracross!" Yuki gasped. Heracross fluttered to the ground, as Yuki returned him to its Pokéball.

Another attack hit Officer Jenny as she was sent to the ground. "Officer Jenny! Psybeam's effect is causing Manectric to be confused!" Clemont explained. Officer Jenny grunted as she took out her Electric Type's Pokéball.

"Return!" Officer Jenny called, returning the confused Manectric. With that, Ash stepped up, joining in the battle. "Leave them to me! Let's do this, Pikachu! Quick Attack!" Ash called.

Yuki wiped the sweat from his forehead as he was about to send Hawlucha for battle, until Litleo put a paw on his chest, growling of something. Yuki looked down, as he smiled.

"Let me guess... You want to join in the battle, right?" Yuki asked. Litleo nodded as she faced the evil trio as well. As Pikachu was charging towards Inkay, the opponent dodged!

Inkay then sprayed ink at Pikachu, which blinded him. The Electric Type struggled to see through the ink that's covering his face. "No! Pikachu! Are you okay!?" Serena gasped.

Yuki gritted his teeth as he called to Litleo. "Avenge Pikachu with Ember, Litleo!" Yuki called. Litleo angrily shot Ember, which burned Inkay away. "Ah! You'll pay for that!" James snapped angrily.

Bonnie grew concerned for Pikachu. "There's got to be something we can do to help out!" Bonnie whispered. Suddenly, an idea came to her head, but it proved to be useless.

Dedenne was fast asleep in her bag, not knowing of what was going on. "Ugh... Clemont! Help them out!" Bonnie groaned. Clemont nodded and took out a Pokéball. But, Ash stopped him, smiling.

"Don't worry, guys! We can still battle, right, Pikachu?" Ash asked. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed with a nod. Yuki bit his lips, unsure about this. "Still, when you're blind, you'll be at a disadvantage, so Litleo and I will help you out." Yuki reminded.

"Lit! Litleo!" The female Fire Type growled in agreement. Ash smiled and nodded. "Great! Thanks, Yuki!" Ash thanked. "Finish this with Tackle!" James called. Inkay charged at Pikachu, as Ash made the signal.

"Pikachu! Jump and dodge!" Ash called. Pikachu nodded as he dodged the attack. Yuki saw his chance. He turned to Hawlucha, who nodded. Yuki nodded back as he called to Litleo.

"Now's your chance to use Ember again, Litleo!" Yuki shouted. Litleo nodded as she blasted Inkay away with the Fire Type move. James wasn't done, however. "Psybeam, let's go!" James called.

"Pikachu! On the ground, and roll!" Ash called. "Litleo! You do the same!" Yuki called. As Inkay shot Psybeam, the two little Pokémon rolled out of the way to evade the attack.

"Turn around and use Thunderbolt!" Ash called. Pikachu shot the Electric Type move, as Yuki got ready. "Join Thunderbolt with more Ember!" Yuki shouted. Litleo shot Ember, which became mixed with Thunderbolt.

But, Jessie was ready for this chance. "Now! Your turn, Wobbuffet!" Jessie called. Wobbuffet guarded Inkay, as it deflected Thunderbolt and Ember with a Mirror Coat attack! But, the two boys were ready.

"Pikachu! Jump and dodge!" Ash called. "Litleo! Jump!" Yuki warned. The two Pokémon dodged the attacks as well. "Aim behind you and use Iron Tail!" Ash called. Pikachu aimed the attack at Wobbuffet.

"Dodge it!" Jessie called. Wobbuffet jumped out of the way, avoiding Iron Tail. "Do it, Litleo! Use Headbutt!" Yuki yelled. Litleo bashed Wobbuffet into the air, much to the evil trio's surprise.

"Pikachu! Stay put and use Thunderbolt!" Ash called. Pikachu nodded and shot the attack at Wobbuffet once more. "Wobbuffet! You know what to do!" Jessie called. Indeed the Patient Pokémon did.

It deflected Thunderbolt again with another Mirror Coat. However, Ash smirked at this, though. "Pikachu! Jump up!" Ash called. Pikachu dodged just in time to let Thunderbolt hit Inkay instead!

Both Jessie and James gasped at this blow, as Jessica grew amazed. "Ash and Pikachu, along with Yuki and Litleo... are both awesome! I can't believe that Ash is acting as Pikachu's eyes as the battle goes on!" Jessica admitted.

"I used to be surprised at this kind of stuff, too! But, now I know that this is something that only they can pull off!" Clemont explained. "It's because they trust each other!" Bonnie explained.

The words gave Jessica some thoughts. "Trust each other?" Jessica repeated. She recalled of when she asked Furfrou to trust her. But, the attempt ended in failure.

Jessica was back in reality as James made some more orders. "Use Tackle!" James called. "Intercept with Headbutt!" Yuki shouted. Tackle and Headbutt met together, but Tackle was overpowered.

As they were battling however, they didn't notice a glowing net heading straight for Jessica and Furfrou! Furfrou noticed as he pushed the apprentice groomer out of the way, being trapped by the cage.

Everyone gasped of seeing Furfrou being captured by the cage. "No! Furfrou!" Jessica shrieked. The Poodle Pokémon attempted to ram the cage, but was shocked by it instead.

Jessie revealed herself, laughing at her success. "Well, we've had quite a haul today!" Jessie laughed. "Wobbuffet!" The Patient Pokémon agreed with a smile.

Jessica shivered, seeing of what was happening to her captive Pokémon. Furfrou growled, trying to find a way out. Jessica grew breathless as she remembered the times she had met her Furfrou.

"My poor Furfrou..." Jessica whispered. She remembered the day they had met, the time when Jessica took care of the Poodle Pokémon, the time when they had walks, and more.

"Fur! Furfrou!" Furfrou called, trying to tell Jessica to escape while she still can. But, Jessica couldn't understand her Pokémon as she gritted her teeth, her fear replaced by anger.

"Give me back my Furfrou NOW!" Jessica bellowed. She ran and grabbed onto the electrifying bars, and was shocked, being knocked back to the ground. "Jessica! You'll hurt yourself!" Serena warned.

Bonnie turned towards his older brother. "Clemont!" Bonnie shouted. Clemont nodded and took out a Pokéball. "Bunnelby! Come out and help us!" Clemont shouted. Bunnelby appeared, ready to fight the enemies.

"Alright, Bunnelby! Use Mud Shot and destroy that cage!" Clemont called. Bunnelby leapt in the air, creating Mud Shot, throwing it at the cage. However, Jessie wasn't going to allow things to go by easily.

"Go, Wobbuffet!" Jessie called. Wobbuffet used Mirror Coat again, deflecting Mud Shot. "Bunnelby! Use Dig!" Clemont yelled. Bunnelby quickly dug underground, evading Mud Shot.

Yuki gritted his teeth of seeing Mirror Coat. "That Wobbuffet is really getting on my nerves! Litleo! Use Take Down on Wobbuffet!" Yuki yelled. Litleo smashed into the Patient Pokémon, causing it to yelp in pain.

As soon as Wobbuffet landed on the ground, Bunnelby sent it flying in the air! Ash saw his chance to make his attack. "Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt, straight ahead!" Ash yelled.

Thunderbolt was launched, and struck Inkay, causing an explosion. Jessica took a long stick, and slammed it on the cage. "Why you... Take this!" Jessica shrieked.

As the device was broken, she knelt down, hugging Furfrou. The broken device landed in front of Jessie, as it exploded! Jessie let out a scream, being sent to the ground, and off of her feet.

Jessica looked back at her Poodle Pokémon as she hugged him happily. "You're safe!" Jessica sighed in relief. Bonnie took out a rag, cleaning the ink off of Pikachu's face.

"Let me clean that icky ink off of you!" Bonnie replied, wiping Pikachu's face. The ink was off as Pikachu got his sight back happily. As the dust cleared, the evil trio were coughing madly.

As the coughing was done, they were confronted by the four trainers, Bonnie, Jessica, Officer Jenny, and Furfrou. Furfrou stepped up as Jessica noticed. "Hey... Do you want to have a battle with them?" Jessica asked.

Furfrou let out a growl, answering her question. "I've got it! Use Charge Beam!" Jessica yelled. Furfrou shot the powerful Electric Type move, blasting the panicky evil trio away.

"WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" Team Rocket screamed as they disappeared out of sight. Once they were gone, the bag containing the Pokéballs spilled out, also revealing Fennekin.

The Fox Pokémon yipped, running to Serena happily. The Vaniville girl hugged her Fire Type happily. "Thank goodness you're alright!" Serena sighed happily. At that time, Officer Jenny picked up all the Pokéballs.

"I'll return all of these stolen Pokéballs back to their trainers. Thank you, Ash. Yuki. And everyone!" Officer Jenny thanked. "No prob!" Ash assured. "We were happy to help, officer." Yuki replied.

"Hawlucha!" "Lit! Litleo!" Yuki's two Pokémon agreed with two grins. Then, Bonnie turned to her big brother. "Hey, Clemont! Didn't we just see Furfrou listening to Jessica?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah, you're right!" Ash agreed. "Pika!" Pikachu cried in agreement. "I think this means that Furfrou sees you as its real trainer and partner now!" Yuki guessed. "Lucha!" Hawlucha agreed.

Jessica blinked in surprise, before blushing lightly. "I'm sure of it!" Serena added. "Mm hm!" Yuki, Ash, and Clemont agreed. Jessica then lowered to Furfrou's level, looking at him.

"Oh Furfrou... Will you let me style you now?" Jessica asked. Furfrou let out a growl and a nod. "Ah! Furfrou!" Jessica exclaimed happily, hugging her Poodle Pokémon.

So, everyone headed back to Sherman's Pokémon Groomer shop where Jessica was about to begin styling her Furfrou. "First, let's get you all brushed!" Jessica called. "Fur..." Furfrou growled in satisfaction.

So, Jessica was brushing her Pokémon, as Sherman let out a chuckle. "Look at that big smile! Such confidence! What a welcome sight!" Sherman chuckled. Serena made some thoughts to herself.

"Seeing Jessica and Furfrou being so happy is so nice!" Serena commented. "It looks like you're at the peak of health!" Jessica giggled. She began to shower Furfrou now.

Time passed as Jessica began to style Furfrou now, washing its fur with shampoo and conditioner, and adding colors to it. As time passed again, the design was finished.

The group grew amazed to this result. Jessica and her styled Furfrou came out of the door, smiling nervously. "So, what do you think?" Jessica asked. "Beautiful!" "And such style!" Bonnie and Serena commented.

"Such perfection!" Sherman chuckled. "Thank you so much!" Jessica thanked her mentor. She then turned to the others. "Thank you, too! I owe so much to every one of you!" Jessica thanked along.

Serena shook her head with a smile. "It's because you connected to Furfrou's heart!" Serena assured. Jessica nodded to that. "I'm going to make that bond with me and Furfrou deeper and deeper and groom as much as I possibly can!" Jessica promised.

She looked up and let out a happy smile. "Someday, I'll be a famous Groomer!" Jessica assured. "And when you are, will you style my Fennekin?" Serena asked. Jessica smiled to that.

"Of course!" Jessica agreed.

Later, it was sunset as the group was about to make their leave for Lumiose City. "Take care!" Sherman called. "Next time you travel this way, please stop by!" Jessica called to them.

"Okay! Goodbye!" Ash called out. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu said, saying his goodbye as well. "Best wishes until the very end!" Yuki called. "Hawlucha!" Hawlucha called. With that, the group left, leaving the salon area.

As they were walking, Yuki gave a sigh with a smiled. "Today was so hectic... I couldn't even know what to say about today..." Yuki sighed. "Lucha Haw." Hawlucha replied with a smirk.

"I can't wait to get to Lumiose City!" Serena exclaimed happily, interrupting their thoughts. The words left Clemont and Bonnie nervous, as Ash, Yuki, and Serena ran ahead. "Keep the pace up, Yu!" Ash called.

Yuki flushed at the nickname again. "Stop calling me that!" Yuki snapped. Both Ash and Serena laughed at his embarrassment as they ran ahead, leaving Clemont and Bonnie trailing behind.

And so, Jessica has gained her trust from Furfrou, and is now on her way to become a Pokémon Groomer. Now, it's time to head for Lumiose City! What will the trainers see to there? Stay tuned for some more!

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Double Team)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 11: Clemont's Secret Revealed!**

**Chapter 12: VS Clembot! For The Lumiose Gym!**

**Chapter 13: Team Rocket's Lab Intrusion!**

**Chapter 14: VS Mega Mega Meowth!**

**Chapter 15: Double Trouble Separation!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Clemont: Uh... Gang? We should leave Lumiose City right away!

Ash: Huh? Why? What's the big rush?

Yuki: WHAT!? Clemont, you're the Lumiose City Gym Leader!?

Clemont: Yeah... But, my robot is like taking over the Gym, making problems to everything!

Bonnie: Big brother tried to do everything, but nothing worked!

Ash: You're just going to have to battle your robot then!


	11. Clemont's Secret Revealed!

**Chapter 11: Clemont's Secret Revealed!**

"We made it to Lumiose City!" Ash exclaimed. Yuki, Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie have all arrived at the city. "The last time I was here, I didn't have much time to look around! But, this city must be the center of the fashion universe!" Serena explained.

"Is everything to you all clothes?" Yuki teased, with Hawlucha snickering. Serena pouted and turned away. "There's more to me than just clothes, Yuki! You just don't know it!" Serena complained.

She then smiled again, giggling. "Anyways, all the people are so well-dressed! And Prism Tower looks incredible!" Serena commented. The five looked at the tower, that had the Lumiose Gym inside.

"Yeah, it sure is." Clemont replied. "I guess it's okay." Bonnie agreed with a not interested tone. Yuki looked at the two with confusion. "What's up with you two? Aren't you glad to be home?" Yuki asked.

Clemont shrugged as Bonnie turned away from the question, leaving Yuki to be even more suspicious. "The Lumiose Gym is up on that tower!" Ash pointed out. Serena turned to Ash with that.

"Oh! Then, you already challenged that Gym, right, Ash?" Serena asked. Ash gave a nervous chuckle, shaking his head. "Well, I showed up there and tried to..." Ash started. "Pika..." Pikachu agreed.

He and Pikachu recalled of the time when they were kicked out of the Gym for not having four Kalos Gym Badges, preventing him from challenging the Gym Leader there. He remembered being shocked, and forced to leave under the trapdoor as well.

He explained it to the group, leaving Yuki and Serena surprised, with Bonnie and Clemont nervous. "That's what happened! I didn't have four badges, so I couldn't get in!" Ash explained. "Pikachu." Pikachu agreed.

"Lucha..." Hawlucha replied, also surprised. "You serious? I only heard the rumors, but I never thought it would happen in real!" Yuki admitted. Serena made a funny look in this thought.

"I had no idea there were Gyms where you needed four badges to challenge it!" Serena admitted. The Hawlucha Boy then noticed the two siblings getting even more nervous.

"Well, since that's the case here... Why don't we get out of Lumiose City?" Clemont suggested. "Let's go!" Bonnie called. Yuki blinked in surprise, as Serena turned to them in complaint.

"But, I've been looking forward to exploring Lumiose City!" Serena complained. "We can do that stuff next time! Come on! Let's go!" Bonnie assured.

With those words, Bonnie tried to push Ash, as Clemont tried to push Serena and Yuki out as well. "Hold on... Already? But, we've just got here!" Yuki protested. "Lucha Haw!" Hawlucha said, supporting Yuki's words.

"What are you in such a rush for!?" Ash asked. Before anyone else could make any more step, there was a man's voice who let out a chuckle. "Well, if it isn't my Clemont and Bonnie!" The man chuckled.

The two siblings shook up, before seeing a man behind him riding a scooter with an Ampharos. "Dad!" "Ampharos!" Clemont and Bonnie called out. The words left Ash, Yuki, and Serena bewildered.

"Huh? Dad?" The three repeated. "Hey!" The man chuckled, waving to the three.

**[Pokémon: XY Series Opening]**

**_I want to be the very best_**

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie are standing together on a hill)

(Ash's blue background shows him sharing a sandwich with Pikachu)

**_Like no one ever was_**

(Serena's pink background shows her choosing a hat while Fennekin runs around her)

_**To catch them is my real test**_

(Clemont and Bonnie's yellow and blue background shows Clemont inventing a machine, before it explodes as Bonnie run with Chespin and Dedenne)

_**To train them is my cause**_

(Yuki's green background shows him and Hawlucha sparring together as Litleo, Heracross, and Bulbasaur cheers)

_**Pokémon (Gotta catch 'em all), it's you and me**_

(Ash commands Pikachu as he dashes towards Yuki and Hawlucha with Quick Attack)

_**(Pokémon!)** _

(Clemont calls for attacks; Chespin uses Pin Missile, Bunnelby uses Dig)

**_I know it's my destiny_**

(Bonnie cheers; Dedenne uses Thundershock as Serena calls for attacks; Fennekin uses Ember)  
_  
**(Pokémon!)**_

(Yuki calls for attacks; Hawlucha uses Karate Chop, Bulbasaur uses Razor Leaf, Litleo uses Ember, Heracross uses Brick Break)

**_Yeah, you're my best friend_**

(Ash calls for attacks; Froakie uses Water Pulse, Fletchling uses Steel Wing, Pikachu uses Electro Ball)

**_In a world we must defend_**

(A Mega Evolution sign appears)

(Ash, Yuki, and the others run along in the city)

_**Pokémon** _

**_(The opening title appears)_**

_**(Gotta catch 'em all)**_  
_**Gotta catch 'em all**_  
_**Gotta catch 'em all!**_  
_**Pokémon!**_

_(Title opening ends)_

Clemont cleared his throat, before beginning the introduction. "Uh... Let me introduce you..." Clemont started, but allowed his sister to explain. "I want you to meet our daddy!" Bonnie explained.

The siblings' father chuckled, waving to the three trainers. "I'm Meyer. I run an electronic shop in the city here along with Ampharos!" Meyer explained. "Amph!" Ampharos chirped in happily.

"You and Ampharos, cool!" Ash commented. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Meyer took one look at Yuki, and walked up to him. "Haven't I seen you before in the news?" Meyer asked.

Yuki flinched, before sweat dropping. "Sir... It's Yuki. Yuki Muramoto." Yuki nervously chuckled. The name sparked Meyer up. "Ah! Of course! You were that famous Hawlucha Boy from Aquacorde Town!" Meyer chuckled.

Clemont blinked, before looking at Yuki in surprise. Ash crept up to him, whispering. "How famous are you?" Ash asked. Yuki and Hawlucha sweat dropped, shrugging together. Bonnie giggled, explaining about the three trainers.

"They're are new, super nice, good friends!" Bonnie explained. At the word, 'friends', Meyer gasped as his face darkened. "Your friends?" Meyer repeated, causing the five to be startled for a moment.

"I'm so... I'm so overcome with happiness that I can't tell you how I feel!" Meyer yelled out loud, holding his son and daughter in a father embrace. Ash chuckled to that as he said his introduction.

"My name's Ash. And this is my partner Pikachu!" Ash explained. "Pikachu!" Pikachu replied happily. Meyer stepped up, smiling at the Electric Type. "Oh? Pikachu! Nice looking electric cheeks!" Meyer complimented.

He stroke Pikachu's cheeks, as Pikachu cried out happily. He then turned to Serena, seeing her in surprise. "And who's this young lady?" Meyer asked. "I'm Serena!" Serena answered.

Meyer smirked, glancing at his son. "Ohh! So, Clemont's finally found himself a beautiful girlfriend! Got to keep an eye on you! Huh? Huh?" Meyer smirked, teasing his son.

"Uh... Dad. It's not like that..." Clemont assured. Serena giggled a little with the father and son thing. Bonnie took Dedenne out of the bag, showing it to her father. "Daddy, look! This is Dedenne! It's my new friend!" Bonnie explained.

"Dedenne!" The Electric-Fairy Type said with a good mood. Meyer smiled of seeing another Electric Type. "Oh! So, you're an Electric Type as well!" Meyer smirked. He then turned to Clemont with a serious stare.

"Now, you listen to me, son. You should come to the house once in a while!" Meyer reminded. Clemont grew nervous as he looked at his dad. "But, Dad... You see..." Clemont started.

"What, is there some reason you haven't been coming in a while?" Meyer asked. Clemont panicked as he began to sweat with nerves. Bonnie made a quick excuse, pulling her brother to the others.

"Well... Daddy... We've got some things to do! So, bye for now!" Bonnie quickly called, as she laughed nervously. "Wait, Clemont..." Meyer called. The two siblings stopped to hear their father.

"I've told you this before. It's true you need to be tough on challengers, but that alone isn't going to make them become better trainers! You need to become the Gym Leader the Lumiose Gym can be proud of!" Meyer explained.

Those words left Ash, Yuki, and Serena confused as Clemont and Bonnie sweated even more. "Lumiose Gym?" "Gym Leader?" "Challengers?" Ash, Serena, and Yuki asked each other in wonder.

With the questions they asked, both Clemont and Bonnie panicked, trying to get their father to change the subject. But, to their dismay, Meyer already began to leave. "See you soon!" Meyer called.

"Yes! All right, sir!" The two siblings stammered, putting up a salute. As Meyer got onto the bike, he glanced at the three young trainers. "Ash, Serena, Yuki! Please take care of my kids for me! And don't forget! Come visit my shop once in a while!" Meyer called.

He and Ampharos drove away, back to their shop. As he was gone, Clemont and Bonnie nervously turned, only for Ash, Yuki, and Serena to all glare at the inventor.

"Alright! What's this all about!?" Ash snapped. Clemont backed away, trying to make up some words, when his little sister sighed. "Well... We might as well tell them the truth..." Bonnie muttered.

Clemont sighed, agreeing with his sister's words.

So, at a park near the fountain, Clemont began to reveal his true identity. "The truth is... that I really am the Gym Leader of the Lumiose Gym." Clemont explained. That made his three friends frown.

"Why didn't you just tell us?" Ash asked. Clemont looked up and sighed. "The thing is, I really was planning to tell you eventually... I'm sorry. It's a really long story." Clemont explained.

He recalled of the time when he was kicked out of his own Gym. "I was... so busy as a Gym Leader, I never really had the time to invent things that I wanted to..." Clemont started.

_Flashback_

_Clemont was building a robot in his room. "So, I decided to construct a Gym Leader robot, who could help me with my Gym Leader responsibilities, and give me more time." Clemont explained._

_Later, at the past, Clemont was finished building his new Gym Leader robot. "Okay! All done! Now, for the next step, programming!" Clemont chuckled as he began to make his program on the robot._

_"The first thing to do is gather up my ideals! And put them all into your AI! I want all challengers to have won around four Gym Badges, and you need to be kind to the challengers, but, at the same time, you need to be tough, when neccessary." Clemont explained._

_Once the programming was done, he stood up and made some thoughts. "Now, all I need to do is set up the voice code... Anything is fine, so... uh, sandwich!" Clemont called._

_At that moment, Bonnie called for her big brother. "Clemont!... Hurry up! You've got a challenger waiting!" Bonnie called. "I'll be right there!... Whhooooa!" Clemont started._

_But, as he ran, he tripped on the wires, that is connecting to his robot! Clemont wailed as he fell to the ground. The robot fell along, causing a dent on the head. The Lumiose Gym Leader gasped, running to his robot._

_"Oh no! Clembot!" Clemont gasped. He checked the robot for any damages. Bonnie ran over, seeing the robot. "What did you make now?" Bonnie asked. The Gym Leader placed the robot to a safer side._

_"You can start today! I'm Clemont, the Gym Leader. And you're Clembot! The Gym Leader robot!" Clemont chuckled. He then left to battle his awaiting challenger._

**_Later..._**

_Once the challenge was done, Clemont brought out his robot for him and Bonnie to see. "Wow! I want to see it move!" Bonnie exclaimed, jumping up and down in excitement._

_Clemont smiled at his little sister and nodded. "Sure! First, I'll engage it in a Pokémon battle! Clembot, activate!" Clemont called. The robot, Clembot blinked several times before moving._

_**"Welcome to the Lumiose Gym!"** Clembot replied. "I'd like to challenge you to a Gym battle!" Clemont called. **"How many badges do you have?"** Clembot asked. This made Clemont nervous as he answered._

_"Well... I don't have any Gym Badges..." Clemont answered truthfully. Clembot lowered down to Clemont's level, staring at him. **"None? In order to challenge the Lumiose Gym, you are required to have a minimum of four Gym Badges!"** Clembot explained._

_Clemont sweat dropped at that in shock. "Huh!? What!? But your programming should say you prefer four Gym Badges!" Clemont gasped. **"Please try again later."** Clembot replied._

_The Lumiose Gym Leader grew annoyed with this. "Stop this! I'll just have to re-program you instead!" Clemont demanded. Bonnie turned to her big brother in worry. "Can you really do that?" Bonnie asked._

_Her big brother smirked, reminding her of something. "I've prepared a special mechanism, in case of emergency!... Now, Clembot! Activate master recognition battle mode!" Clemont called._

_**"Voice code will be needed for activation."** Clembot reminded. The inventor smirked with that. "If I remember correctly, it was sandwich!" Clemont answered. _

_Suddenly, the robot buzzed with that. **"No. You are wrong."** Clembot replied. This made the Gym Leader shocked. "WHAT!? It's sandwich! You're wrong!" Clemont protested. **"Incorrect."** Clembot buzzed again._

_This time, both siblings grew worried about this. "Hey, Clemont? Is there any other way for your robot to behave?" Bonnie asked. "I don't know!" Clemont desperately shouted out._

_This time, Clembot went into bonkers as he warned the two. **"Please try again later."** Clembot buzzed. Electricity shot between Clembot's electric rods, causing the two siblings to panic._

_They ran out of the Gym, but, as they ran out, the door closed shut! "Ah! Clembot! Come on! Open up! CLEMBOT!" Clemont yelled, banging on the door. When it proved to be useless, the Gym Leader gave up._

_Flashback End_

Once Clemont finished his story, Serena, Yuki, and Ash finally understood. "... And that's why." Clemont concluded. Yuki crossed his arms in frustration. "Does this mean that you can't return to your own Gym?" Yuki asked.

"Lucha?" Hawlucha asked. "I keep trying, but Clembot won't let anyone in without four Gym Badges through the entrance! And he's always out there on the battlefield." Clemont answered.

He gave a sigh, looking down. At that moment, his three friends looked at him with a smile. "Why don't we go back there and see what we can do?" Ash suggested. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

"Yeah! Good idea!" Serena agreed along. "It's better than doing nothing, isn't it?" Yuki asked. "Hawlucha!" The Wrestling Pokémon replied with a knowing glare. "Uh... Sure..." Clemont replied.

So, the group headed towards the Gym, where they saw three boys grumbling about something. Clemont widened his eyes as he ran to see what was going on. "Is something wrong?" Clemont asked.

The first boy nodded with an angry tone. "You bet there is! It's this Gym!" The boy answered. "Did they say you need four badges to challenge?" Clemont asked desperately.

"Y-Yeah, but that wasn't any problem when I had four of them... My opponent was this crazed, powerful robot! After I lost, it zapped me, and then the floor opened up, and I was thrown out of there!" The boy explained.

The explanation made Clemont gasp as the three angry boys began to leave. "I've had enough of this place!" The second snapped. "I'll never come to this Gym again!" The first grunted.

With that, the three left, with the Lumiose Gym Leader sighing. "Being tough alone won't get trainers better." Clemont sighed. The little girl looked down. "Now I see what Daddy was talking about!" Bonnie replied sadly.

"Dedenne." Dedenne replied sadly along. "What will you do?" Serena asked. Clemont begin to think, until Ash spoke up. "We know what to do! We'll just stop that crazy robot!" Ash exclaimed.

Yuki grinned with the idea as he nodded. "Yes. What Ash said. That would make things easier for the challengers and for you, wouldn't it?" Yuki replied. "Lucha!" Hawlucha agreed.

"But how!?" Clemont asked, desperate. "We can't do a thing without the voice code!" Bonnie added. Serena walked up next to Clemont. "Now, try to relax and think carefully!" Serena assured.

Clemont still doubted it, though. "Even if I remember the password, I still have to defeat it in battle!" Clemont protested. That's when Ash stepped up. "But you won't know unless you give it a try!" Ash reminded.

Clemont glared back. "No way! Clembot will have all of my Pokémon battle partners to battle with! I can't win with my inexperienced Bunnelby!" Clemont yelled, refusing to believe it.

Yuki's face darkened as he gritted his teeth. "Clemont. Look up at us for a second." Yuki asked darkly. Startled by the tone, Clemont got up, only to see a fist coming at him.

**THWACK!**

Clemont flinched as he fell to the ground by Yuki's punch. "Yuki!?" Serena gasped. Ash, Pikachu, and Hawlucha were speechless of what the Hawlucha Boy did. Bonnie shrieked in surprise.

Dedenne hid in her bag, frightened. Yuki grabbed Clemont's suit collar and pulled him up by force. Clemont's right cheek was a little bruised as he shook with shock.

"So, you're just going to give up? That's what only a pathetic coward would do! And that coward is you if you don't believe in your current Pokémon right now! Sure, Bunnelby may be inexperienced, but win or lose, it won't matter! You could at least give it your best shot!" Yuki snapped angrily.

Everyone around Yuki was startled of what happened, as Clemont stayed speechless and shocked. Ash smiled and nodded to Yuki's words. "Yeah. Yuki and I may not know much about robots, but, you made Clembot, so you might understand each other in battle!" Ash added.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Yuki released Clemont as the Gym Leader thought about it. "Battling Clembot... to understand him?" Clemont repeated. "Clemont, why did you become a Gym Leader in the first place?" Serena asked.

"Not sure how to explain..." Clemont replied. "I'll tell them! In Lumiose City, my big brother is the 'Boy Genius of Electric Types'!" Bonnie explained. Clemont nodded to his sister's words and continued.

"I wanted to become an Electric Type trainer the world has never seen! So, I became the Lumiose Gym Leader! By running an Electric Type Gym, challengers would plan their strategies accordingly. I figured if I could win, despite of the stiff competition, it would help me grow stronger as an Electric Type trainer!" Clemont explained.

Serena stepped beside Clemont, smiling at him. "All the more reason why we need to get your Gym back!" Serena exclaimed. Clemont looked at the Vaniville girl in surprise.

"She's right! Taking back this Gym will help you grow stronger! And we'll help you out!" Ash called. Yuki stepped up as well, along with Hawlucha. "So? What's your answer to this?" Yuki asked.

"Lucha!" Hawlucha exclaimed. Clemont looked at all his friends, and his little sister as he smiled. "Yeah... You're right! Let's go see Clembot!" Clemont declared. "RIGHT!" The three trainers and Bonnie called out.

Bonnie tugged on her big brother's sleeve. "Hey, Clemont? Isn't it awesome that Ash, Serena, and Yuki are here?" Bonnie asked. The Lumiose Gym Leader smiled at that question.

"Yeah!" Clemont agreed.

So, around the Prism Tower, Clemont showed the others another way in. "If we can just get to the battlefield, we might be recognized as challengers!" Clemont called. They all ran in the secret entrance.

When they got to the air vent, Yuki made his move. "Hawlucha! Use Karate Chop!" Yuki called. Hawlucha smashed the air vent entrance, allowing the others to go in. "Alright! Follow me!" Clemont called.

As everyone got out of the vent, they were closer to the battlefield. "We don't have much farther to go before we get to the battlefield! Let's hurry up!" Clemont called.

But, before anyone can move, there was a buzzing noise. The group turned to see a magnet Pokémon floating towards them! "Magnemite!" Ash called. Clemont widened his eyes.

"That's my Pokémon!" Clemont claimed. He walked over to the Steel-Electric Type with a smile. "Magnemite! It's me!" Clemont called. At first, Magnemite grew happy, but then it angrily shot a Thundershock!

The group yelled out in surprise as they all ran to dodge the attack. "Come on, Magnemite! Stop!" Clemont pleaded, but it was useless. Ash glanced back at the angry Pokémon.

"Why is it attacking us!? It's your Pokémon, isn't it?" Ash asked. Clemont panted as he ran along. "Yeah! But now, since Clembot is the Gym Leader, I guess it would've ordered Magnemite to get rid of any intruders!" Clemont panted.

"What! That robot has some nerve to mess around with your Pokémon!" Yuki called angrily. He turned to face Magnemite in a battle. "Clemont! Mind if I fight back!?" Yuki called.

"Sure, since we have no choice!" Clemont answered back. "Alright then! Hawlucha! Flying Press!" Yuki yelled. Hawlucha smashed Magnemite down on the ground, as it buzzed weakly from the direct blow.

"Ha cha cha!" Hawlucha called, posing for his victory. "Nice style, partner!" Yuki called. Hawlucha gave a thumbs up as Ash called out in surprise. "There's another one here!" Ash called out.

Behind them, another magnet looking Pokémon floated by. "A Magneton!" Serena gasped. "Right, that's my Pokémon, too!" Clemont replied. Magneton shot a Metal Sound attack. Everyone covered their ears for this.

"Fennekin! Help us out with Ember!" Serena called. The Fox Pokémon appeared, shooting the Fire Type move at Magneton, who split apart to dodge it! "It dodged!?" Serena gasped.

Magneton shot a Thunderbolt at the group as Yuki ran by with Hawlucha. "Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash called. Pikachu shot the Electric Type move, colliding with Magneton's Thunderbolt.

Ash immediately took out a Pokéball, then. "Alright! Froakie, I choose you!" Ash called. Froakie appeared, throwing frubbles at the evolved Steel Type. Magneton was knocked out by the sticky frubbles.

"Thanks so much, Pikachu and Froakie!" Serena thanked. "Pika!" "Froakie kie!" Pikachu and Froakie said with smiles.

Later, everyone got out of the maze, heading into the battlefield. "Phew... Somehow, we made it..." Clemont sighed. Immediately as the group entered, a light flashed on a familiar figure.

Everyone turned to see Clemont's Gym Leader robot, Clembot. **"Welcome, to the Lumiose Gym."** Clembot buzzed.

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Double Team)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 12: VS Clembot! For The Lumiose Gym!**

**Chapter 13: Team Rocket's Lab Intrusion!**

**Chapter 14: VS Mega Mega Meowth!**

**Chapter 15: Double Trouble Separation!**

**Chapter 16: Pangoro To Leaf In!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Clemont: Clembot! I challenge you to a battle for my Gym!

Clembot: **I will be using this Pokémon then. Go, Heliolisk!**

Yuki: This is it! Gym Leader robot VS Gym Leader!

Ash: Clemont's just got to win! I'm sure he can!

Bonnie: Come on, big brother! Fight, fight, fight!

Dedenne: Dedenne Dedenne!


	12. VS Clembot! For The Lumiose Gym!

**Chapter 12: VS Clembot! For the Lumiose Gym!**

Last time on "Pokémon Kalos Journey", the group had arrived at Lumiose City, where Ash revealed that he was kicked out of the Gym for not having four Kalos Gym Badges, much to Yuki and Serena's surprise.

When Clemont and Bonnie tried to force their three friends out, they were caught by their father, who greeted his kids and his three friends. During the conversation, Meyer revealed to the three that Clemont is the Gym Leader of Lumiose City.

Clemont then explained on how and why he wasn't back in his Gym, as his robot, Clembot kicked him and Bonnie out of the Gym. With Ash and Yuki's words of encouragement, the five headed towards the secret entrance of the Gym.

As they were on their way to the battlefield, they met up with Clemont's Magnemite and Magneton, who attacked them, thinking that they were intruders, despite of Clemont being their real trainer.

Once the crisis was done, they were soon to be spotted by Clembot, the Gym Leader robot as Clemont prepares himself for a battle, promising to get his Gym back from his creation.

**"Welcome, to the Lumiose Gym."** Clembot greeted. Lights flashed around the battlefield, as the five people widened their eyes in surprise. "Clembot! It's you!" Clemont gasped.

After seeing his own creation, Clemont took a deep breath, before calling out to his robot. "Now, Clembot! Activate master recognition battle mode!" Clemont called. Like before, Clembot made the requirement.

**"First, voice code will be needed for activation."** Clembot explained. The Lumiose Gym Leader thought it over, trying to remember. "Do it, Clemont!" Bonnie called, holding onto Serena.

"Aren't there any clues on your robot that can make it easier for you to remember?" Yuki asked. Clemont opened his eyes in surprise. He looked closer at Clembot, seeing the bump on its metal head.

That ticked his thought off as he remembered when Clembot hit his head when he last tripped, causing a little damage. "Ah! The voice code is 'You can start today! I'm Clemont, the Gym Leader'!" Clemont answered.

At that moment, the robot grew stiff before responding. **"Code recognized. Master recognition battle mode activated!"** Clembot replied. With this, the group let out a cheer, relieved that it worked.

"Alright!" Clemont exclaimed. "Way to go, Clemont!" Ash congratulated. "Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed. "All you have to do now is to battle to show Clembot that you're his master!" Yuki reminded.

"Lucha!" Hawlucha agreed. So, with that all set, Yuki, Ash, Serena, Clemont, Pikachu, and Hawlucha all went to the sidelines to watch the battle. "Bunnelby, let's go!" Clemont called.

The bunny looking Pokémon appeared, ready to battle. Clembot's eyes flashed twice, before making his declaration. **"I will be using this Pokémon!"** Clembot declared. He shot a Pokéball out of his launcher.

As the ball opened, an Electric Type Pokémon appeared. It looked like Helioptile, but a bit bigger and different. "Heliolisk!" The Pokémon cried out. Clemont widened his eyes of seeing the Pokémon.

"Heliolisk!" Clemont gasped. The Electric danced around, overjoyed to see its trainer again. "Heliolisk?" Ash asked, taking out his Pokédex. "That must be another one of Clemont's Pokémon." Yuki guessed.

"Lucha..." Hawlucha agreed. _"Heliolisk, the Generator Pokémon and the evolved form of Helioptile. Heliolisk produces enough electricity to power a large building and recharges by spreading its frills."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

The Gym Leader adjusted his glasses as he got ready. "My reputation as a Gym Leader is resting on this battle... Heliolisk! Give it everything you've got!" Clemont called.

The Generator Pokémon replied with a nod, and a determined face.

**Clembot: Heliolisk VS Clemont: Bunnelby**

**"Heliolisk, Thunderbolt!" **Clembot called. Clemont smirked of hearing the move. "Clembot's starting out with Thunderbolt! And that's just how I programmed it to do!" Clemont smirked.

Heliolisk shot a Thunderbolt, shooting it at Bunnelby, as Clemont made his call. "Bunnelby, use your ears to defend!" Clemont called. Bunnelby dug his ears, using the sand to block Thunderbolt.

It exploded, as the sidelines braced themselves. "Amazing!" Serena stated. "Clemont used that when I battled against him!" Ash stated. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. As the dust cleared, Clemont called for another attack.

"Bunnelby, Double Slap!" Clemont shouted. **"Use Dragon Tail!"** Clembot countered. Both Pokémon charged at each other, but Bunnelby blocked it, and then countered its speed, slapping it twice!

The move sent the Electric Type to the ground. "Now, Bunnelby! Dig!" Clemont called. Bunnelby dug underground, preparing to make a surprise attack. **"Now, use Bulldoze!"** Clembot buzzed.

At the move, Bulldoze, that shook the Gym Leader up. Heliolisk slammed his foot on the ground, causing a little quake, forcing Bunnelby to reveal himself from Dig! Clemont grew surprised with this.

"Hold on! I never taught Heliolisk that move!" Clemont gasped. "Clembot taught it to Heliolisk on its own!?" Serena exclaimed. "What!?" Ash gasped. "Use Dragon Tail!" Clembot shouted.

Heliolisk recovered from the double attack as he leapt up, slamming Bunnelby back to Clemont. The Normal Type skidded on the ground, resisting the attack. "Bunnelby! You okay?" Clemont asked.

"Bun!" Bunnelby responded with a nod. Clemont bit his lips, surprised with this technique. _"Having Heliolisk use Bulldoze like that was a surprise! But, it'll be the same for them dealing with a new move from us!"_ Clemont thought.

"Alright, okay! Now, it's our turn! Bunnelby, use Double Team!" Clemont called. Bunnelby leapt in the air, creating clones of itself. Heliolisk looked around, not knowing which to attack.

The others noticed this as Ash smiled. "Heliolisk is just standing there!" Ash stated. "I'll bet this works!" Serena exclaimed. But, Yuki widened his eyes as Clemont called out his next move.

"Now, Bunnelby! Mud Shot!" Clemont shouted. Yuki rose up and called to his friend. "Call off the attack, Clemont! It's a trap!" Yuki yelled. Clemont and the others grew surprised with this.

Indeed, Yuki was right. Clembot had another trick up on his metallic sleeve. **"Parabolic Charge!"** Clembot called. Heliolisk revealed his frills, creating a shock discharge, shocking Bunnelby!

The Normal Type yelled in pain as he was zapped by the powerful attack. Ash, Serena, and Bonnie all gasped at the attack. "What kind of move is that!?" Serena gasped. Clemont sweated with this.

_"Parabolic Charge! It attacks all opponents in the area, while restoring energy at the same time!"_ Clemont thought. Yuki gritted his teeth, knowing that Clemont has taken damage from the powerful attack.

Bunnelby landed on the ground, as Clemont narrowed his eyes. "Bunnelby!" Clemont called. The Normal Type got off the ground, ready for some more. **"Use Thunderbolt!"** Clembot called.

Once again, the Generator Pokémon shot the move at Bunnelby. Bonnie yelled out for her big brother to win. "Come on, Clemont! You have to win this!" Bonnie yelled in desperation.

Clemont immediately called for a counterattack. "Now, Bunnelby! Dig, let's go!" Clemont shouted. Once again, Bunnelby dug underground, evading Thunderbolt. However, Clembot was already prepared.

**"Use Bulldoze!"** Clembot shouted. Bonnie yelled, thinking that it was over. "The same thing will happen all over again!" Serena exclaimed. "It's all finished now!" Bonnie exclaimed, pulling her hair.

Yuki grew ticked off as he glared angrily at the two girls. "THINK before you talk! A Gym Leader like Clemont isn't going to fall for the tactic twice, you know!" Yuki bellowed.

The yell startled both Bonnie and Serena as the two girls continued to watch. Ash smiled at Yuki's tone and nodded. "Yuki's right! Clemont! Don't give up until the end!" Ash shouted.

Clemont replied with a nod. "Right! If there's one thing I learned from both Yuki and Ash, it's thinking outside the box! Now, Bunnelby! Use Double Team while you're still underground!" Clemont called.

As Heliolisk slammed his foot, causing another Bulldoze attack, clones of Bunnelby appeared, surrounding the Generator Pokémon once more. Both Clembot and Heliolisk gasped out in surprise.

"Now! Use Dig!" Clemont shouted. All the clones prepared to make multiple of surprise attacks, until the Gym Leader robot interrupted once more. **"Use Parabolic Charge!"** Clembot called.

Like before, Heliolisk shocked all the clones around it! But, this time, Bunnelby was nowhere to be seen! That caused both Serena and Bonnie to be worried. "All of them disappeared!" Serena gasped.

"Bunnelby..." Bonnie replied sadly. Just then, Pikachu tapped on Ash's shoulder, as Hawlucha tugged on Yuki's jacket, as the two boys looked at the battlefield. Both Ash and Yuki smirked as they nodded.

"Yeah!" "This battle isn't over yet!" Ash and Yuki cried out. To Clembot's surprise, the real Bunnelby was still drilling underground, as it smashed Heliolisk into the air! The robot buzzed in malfunction.

"Error! Error!" Clembot called, puffing out smoke in overheat. Clemont adjusted his glasses as he decided to wrap things up. "Let's finish this up! Bunnelby! Mud Shot!" Clemont yelled.

As the Generator Pokémon was falling, with the Normal Type going up, Bunnelby shot his last attack, blasting Heliolisk to the ground with the final Mud Shot attack. The Electric Type fell before fainting.

The others rose up from their seats. "Pikachu!" "Lucha!" Pikachu and Hawlucha cried out proudly. "Heh... Heliolisk is unable to battle! Bunnelby wins! So, the victor goes to Clemont! The Lumiose Gym Leader!" Yuki declared.

**Winner: Clemont**

Ash grinned at that. "That means it's all over!" Ash exclaimed. "Clemont was so great!" Bonnie giggled, embracing Dedenne, who responded in a happy tone. Clemont ran over to check his Heliolisk.

"Oh, Heliolisk! Are you alright?" Clemont asked. "Lisk!" Heliolisk responded in a weak, happy tone. The Gym Leader sighed in relief. "Thank goodness... But, I'm so sorry..." Clemont apologized.

Just then, Clembot came over as Clemont looked up. **"I recognize you now, sir. Welcome back to the Lumiose Gym!"** Clembot replied. The real Gym Leader sighed in relief, seeing that he was finally recognized.

"I'm glad to be back, Clembot... Because of my faulty programming, I realized that I made a lot of trouble for you, too... I'm sorry." Clemont apologized. The robot only cocked its head on one side.

Clemont rose his head up with a smile. "I think I'll work on reprogramming you right now!" Clemont declared. So, back at Clemont's room, the inventor and Gym Leader began to reprogram his robot.

Ash, Yuki, Serena, and Bonnie all watched the process. "First rule: Be modest. It doesn't matter how many badges a challenger has. Second rule: Be kind, while at the same time be tough to them. And don't forget to give constructive advice after the battle! And, the third rule: Be thoughtful. Try to help challengers to grow their skills! These are rules that every Gym Leader needs to follow!" Clemont explained.

Once the reprogramming is done, everyone was back at the Gym battlefield, where the Lumiose Gym Leader looked at his friends. "I've learned so much from all of you! And I want to keep on learning! Right, Clembot?" Clemont asked.

The robot blinked before saying his words. **"Well put, sir."** Clembot replied. That made the inventor slump down a little. "Uh... Ha ha... Now I'm starting to feel kind of embarrassed." Clemont chuckled.

"Hey, I want to keep learning, too!" Ash exclaimed, putting an arm over both Yuki and Clemont. "Me, too!" Bonnie added, running over to her two friends and her older brother.

"Clembot, we're friends now, I suppose?" Yuki asked. "Yes, Yuki. We're friends now." Clembot buzzed. The others cheered for the success they had for Clemont.

But then, the inventor suddenly realized of what must be done first.

**Later...**

"WHAT!? Your robot kicked you out of your own Gym!?" Meyer yelled. He gave a deep sigh. Everyone, including Clembot headed to Meyer's workshop where the two siblings explained the situation.

Meyer was in a deep thought as his son tried to explain. "Daddy! Wait until you hear the end of the story!" Bonnie reminded. "Everything's fine now! So, it's fine to leave Clembot as the Gym Leader now!" Clemont assured.

Meyer sighed, putting his hands on his hips. "Well, I sure hope that you're right... So, does that mean you'll be coming to visit by the house more often?" Meyer asked. Ampharos cried out hopefully with a smile.

The question left Clemont nervous. "V-Visit? Uh... Well... You see, the thing is..." Clemont stuttered. Meyer grew suspicious as he got close to his son. "Is there some sort of a problem?" Meyer asked.

"Well, kind of, because..." Clemont stammered, until his little sister stepped up. "Just tell him, Clemont! Now!" Bonnie shouted. The inventor nodded as he turned to his father with a tightened fist.

"Here's the thing... I'm... I'm going on a journey! Since I've met Ash and Yuki, I've been gaining more courage whenever I travel around them!" Clemont explained. "Courage, huh?" Meyer asked.

"That's right! I've always been afraid to try out new things, but now I'm feeling completely different!" Clemont explained. "Wow, Clemont..." Ash replied, amazed.

"I've been this way for a short time, but I get it! I've experienced so much! So quickly! I've had fun! I've been sad. I've been happy and scared. That may not be such a big deal, but I've been really getting touched by myself! And that's really really important to me! Even if Ash and Yuki makes it to the Kalos League, it's really important that I travel with them there!" Clemont explained.

"Daddy, I want to go with Ash, Yuki, and Clemont, too!" Bonnie added. With those words, Meyer made a deep thought for himself. "Dad?" Clemont called. "Please, Daddy? Please?" Bonnie asked.

Meyer kept thinking as Ash, Serena, Yuki, and Clembot supported the decision. "I'll take care of Bonnie! I promise!" Serena promised. "They'll be safe in our hands, Meyer, sir." Yuki assured.

"Lucha Haw." Hawlucha agreed. "Yeah. We all promise!" Ash promised along. "I give you my word, that I will take care of the Gym, and help out in the house as well!" Clembot pledged.

With the words of promises, Meyer began to shake a little. "I'm just so... I'm just so... I'm just so proud in my children!" Meyer exclaimed. He held Clemont and Bonnie on their shoulders with a smile.

"What a joy to have such great kids! I know that I've told you this before. The most important thing in the world, is to have real friends! As long as you Ash, Yuki, and Serena with you two, I'm not worried about a thing!" Meyer chuckled.

He smiled, opening his eyes. "Alright. You can go." Meyer replied. He embraced his son and daughter, giving them his permission. His two children hugged back with a smile.

"Thanks so much, Dad!" Clemont thanked. "I love you, Daddy!" Bonnie exclaimed. "I love you both, too..." Meyer replied. He let them go, looking at the three trainers.

"Now, Ash, Serena, Yuki. Promise me that you'll take care of these two and keep them out of trouble. Okay?" Meyer asked. "Yes sir!" The three exclaimed together. Meyer smiled as he got up.

"Alright! So, for now, it's time to celebrate Clemont and Bonnie's new journey!" Meyer declared. Everyone cheered for the celebration, now that the two siblings could have their real journey with their three friends.

Later, it was night as Serena and Bonnie slept in Bonnie's room. Ash, Clemont, and Yuki all slept in Clemont's room. "Hey, Ash. Are you sorry that you weren't able to challenge the Lumiose Gym?" Clemont asked.

Yuki pretended to be asleep, not getting involved with this conversation. "Yeah, but back then, you decided that the challengers should be strong enough to earn four Gym Badges, right?" Ash asked.

"Huh? Uh, yeah... Right." Clemont agreed. The Kanto trainer smiled, turning to the Lumiose Gym Leader. "Since that's what you wanted, I'll just come back until I have four of them!" Ash decided.

"Pika..." Pikachu agreed sleepily. Clemont grew surprised for a moment, before smiling. "If that's what you want." Clemont chuckled, looking up on the ceiling. "One thing..." Ash added.

Clemont turned to the Kanto trainer in question. "I want the battle to be against you instead of Clembot!" Ash exclaimed. Clemont grew startled with that, before he smiled.

"Hm! Deal! I'll get stronger, so that I can give you a Gym battle that you could never forget for the rest of your life!" Clemont agreed, feeling determined. "That sounds great to me!" Ash agreed.

"Then, that's what we'll do!" Clemont declared. The two of them nodded to each other, before laughing together. Yuki smiled, seeing their determination, before the two boys fell asleep.

Later, as time passed, the Hawlucha Boy got up, heading out to the window's balcony. Ash noticed in his sleep as he got up. "Yuki? Is something wrong?" Ash asked. Yuki, startled with Ash, shook his head with a smile.

Hawlucha was a strong sleeper, as Yuki turned back. "No, Ash. It's nothing... I'm just thinking..." Yuki started. "About what?" Ash asked. The Hawlucha Boy smiled, turning to the confused Ash.

"I guess you should know... that I'm a bit jealous of all of you." Yuki admitted. Pikachu got onto Ash's shoulder as Ash looked at Yuki in confusion.

"Jealous? Why? You have a strong team with you, and you're pretty famous around Kalos." Ash asked. "Pika?" Pikachu asked along. Yuki smiled sadly, before biting his lips.

His face darkened as he explained. "Unlike all of you... I don't have... a mother or a father..." Yuki explained. Both Ash and Pikachu widened their eyes in this. "Hold on! Yuki, does that mean you're...!?" Ash gasped.

Yuki's face was still darkened as he nodded. "That's right. I'm an orphan. I never knew my parents, since they died on the day I was born. I have no memories of them. No pictures of them as well. No one even talks about them..." Yuki explained.

He shook a little, which the Kanto trainer noticed. Yuki looks as he was about to cry. He was right, as shining tears slowly crawled from his cheeks. "Yuki..." Ash whispered, feeling sorry for the Hawlucha Boy.

"Eight years have passed... I had no one looking after me, no friends, no one to trust... Thinking that I had no reason to live, until I met Hawlucha there..." Yuki continued, looking at his sleeping partner Pokémon.

He shuddered as he held onto the railings of the balcony. "That was when you showed up, along with Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie. I was surprised that we became friends already... Despite of already meeting each other..." Yuki explained.

"Pika..." Pikachu replied sadly. "Yuki... I'm sorry." Ash apologized. Yuki shook his head, cleaning his tears. "Don't be. I was stupid to bring this up all of a sudden..." Yuki retorted.

He was about to head back to bed, when he felt a firm grip on his left wrist. Startled, Yuki turned to see Ash smiling sadly at him, holding his left wrist. "Yuki... No matter where you go, I'm sure your parents will always be with you! That, I'm sure of." Ash assured.

"Pikachu." Pikachu agreed with a nod. Yuki blinked in surprise before smiling a little. "Thanks, Ash... And, I guess you're right." Yuki replied. Ash grinned at that, putting an arm over Yuki's shoulder.

"Come on! What are friends for? Right?" Ash asked. "Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. "I suppose..." Yuki agreed, still unsure. The two boys continued their conversation, before going back to bed.

So, with Clemont and Bonnie gaining permission to go on a journey, and with Clemont regaining the peace in the Lumiose Gym, the group have other things to attend to! What will the future events be like? Stay tuned for some more!

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Double Team)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 13: Team Rocket's Lab Intrusion!**

**Chapter 14: VS Mega Mega Meowth!**

**Chapter 15: Double Trouble Separation!**

**Chapter 16: Pangoro To Leaf In!**

**Chapter 17: A Bug to Smuggle!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Prof. Sycamore: Care to experience the words of Mega Evolution?

Ash: Mega Evolution? What's that?

Serena: Ah! Prof. Sycamore has been captured!

Yuki: It's Team Rocket! They must be after his information on Mega Evolution!

Bonnie: We'll go after the bad guys!

Clemont: No, Bonnie! Don't go there!


	13. Team Rocket's Lab Intrusion!

**Chapter 13: Team Rocket's Lab Intrusion!**

It was a bright morning in Lumiose City. Yuki, Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena were all outside, walking along the sidewalk of the city. Ash was already pumped up for his second Gym battle.

"Okay! Cyllage City Gym! You're up next! Here we come!" Ash called. The Kanto trainer turned to Yuki, who seemed a bit quiet during the walk. The Kanto trainer put an arm around Yuki with a grin.

"Come on, Yuki! Aren't you excited?" Ash asked. Yuki blinked in surprise, before smiling a bit. "You can say that, I guess." Yuki chuckled. Just then, Serena called to the others.

"I have an idea!" Serena called out. The others stopped as Ash put his arm off of the Hawlucha Boy. Serena then made a suggestion of their choice for the day.

"Since we're already here in Lumiose City, why don't we go visit Prof. Sycamore before we leave?" Serena suggested. Clemont stepped up to the idea. "That's a great idea, Serena!" Clemont replied.

Ash nodded with a smile. Yuki smiled sadly before looking up. The Vaniville girl didn't seem to notice as she took out a small basket case. "Also... Ta-da! I've made macarons last night!" Serena explained.

The others, except Yuki was impressed by the looks of it. "Yummy and pretty, too!" Bonnie exclaimed. "Let's share them with the Professor!" Serena suggested. Bonnie and Dedenne grew excited with this.

"Oh boy, I can hardly wait!" Bonnie shrieked happily. "Dedenne!" Dedenne agreed happily. With the decision made, everyone was about to head to the leave, until Hawlucha noticed Yuki just standing on one spot.

Ash noticed this as well as he and Hawlucha walked back to Yuki. "Hey! Yuki! You okay?" "Lucha Haw?" Ash and Hawlucha asked. Yuki snapped out of his thoughts as he shook his head.

"H-Huh... What?" Yuki asked. Ash grinned as he took Yuki by the arm. "We're going to see Prof. Sycamore in his lab! Come on!" Ash called. He and the Wrestling Pokémon pulled the Hawlucha Boy away.

"H-Hey! Slow down! I can't run like this all of a sudden!" Yuki yelped as he was dragged by the Kanto trainer and his Pokémon partner.

**[Pokémon: XY Volt Opening (English Subbed)]**

(Pikachu was shown kissing the screen until he ran with Ash, Yuki, and Hawlucha)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying,**_

(A scene showed a route crossroad, with Meowstic and a group of Swirlix floating by)

_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark, **_

(A grassfield where Vivillon, and Swanna groups are flying at a nearby town

(Underwater where Water Type were swimming underwater)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were seeing a town from a bridge view)

_**Ice, Normal, Fighting, Fire,**_

(A flower field shows; a group of macarons show; a rainy night shows)

_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy,**_

(The group runs along the route in the city)

_**Come on, from here on out it's an adventure and there's only light ahead**_

(Ash's blue background show him and Pikachu sharing sandwiches together)

_**The sky overflows with a rain of tears but we push through**_

(Serena's pink background show her picking a hat, while Fennekin happily runs around her)

_**Come on, use your courage to be better than you were yesterday**_

(Clemont's blue and yellow background show him inventing a machine before it explodes, while Bonnie runs with Dedenne and Chespin)

_**Treasure any encounter  
****  
Heart's pounding, Challenger!**_

(Yuki's green background shows him and Hawlucha sparring with each other, while Litleo, Heracross, and Bulbasaur cheers)

_**Someday, my dream will be fulfilled **_

(Ash, Yuki, Hawlucha, and Pikachu were running only to be blocked by a huge cliff)

(Silhouettes of Gym Leader shine in front of the two)

_**That's what you have taught me, and that's why I travel**_

(Serena place a hand on Ash's left shoulder, Clemont places a hand on Yuki's right shoulder, Bonnie grabs the two's hands together)

(The group runs to the field on their journey)

_**As the red ring of bonds spreads far and wide**_

I'll definitely reach out to everyone with this energy I suddenly feel

(Ash and Yuki make attack calls; Pikachu and Hawlucha fights and defeat the trainers' Honedge and Pangoro)

_**This blue planet of ours is shining with hope**_

(Clemont calls for attacks; Chespin uses Pin Missile, and Bunnelby uses Dig)

(Bonnie cheers, as Dedenne uses Thundershock)

(Serena calls for an attack; Fennekin uses Ember)

(Yuki calls for attacks; Bulbasaur uses Razor Leaf, Litleo uses Ember, Heracross uses Megahorn, and Hawlucha uses Karate Chop)

_**The yellow flowers bloom**_

(Ash calls for attacks: Froakie uses Water Pulse, Fletchling uses Steel Wing, as Pikachu uses Electro Ball)

(A Mega Evolution sign appears; Mega Lucario roars, sending huge power)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying**_  
_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark**_  
_**Ice, Normal, Fire, Fighting**_  
_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy**_

(Xerneas and Yvetal appears; The Japanese opening title appears)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie smile at the viewers with their Pokémon)

**(Title opening ends)**

Later, the group has finally arrived at the Sycamore Pokémon Lab as they were welcomed by the Kalos Professor. Sycamore chuckled, seeing everyone together.

"So, you're all traveling together, huh? Sounds like a great plan!" Sycamore chuckled. "Thanks!" Ash thanked. "Pika!" Pikachu thanked along. The Kalos Professor then turned to Yuki.

"I'm surprised that you decided to travel with Ash and the others, Yuki! You don't seem to be like the social type to travel with companions!" Sycamore admitted. Yuki only gave a sigh.

He looked up, smiling sadly. "Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult, Professor? I don't appreciate insults." Yuki explained. Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all looked at the Hawlucha Boy in surprise.

Sycamore laughed at this. "I'm just messing with you! You sure look confident with Hawlucha!" Sycamore chuckled. "Hawlucha!" The Wrestling Pokémon responded in a positive tone.

Serena then took out her macaron case, showing it to Prof. Sycamore. "Professor! Here! I made delicious macarons for everyone!" Serena explained. Sycamore sniffed at the macarons and sighed.

"Such a sweet treat!" Sycamore commented. Prof. Sycamore's assistant, Sophie smiled as she got up. "How nice! I suggest we have a little tea break with those macarons!" Sophie suggested.

"I still have some work to do, so I'll have mine a bit later!" Sycamore explained. "Will you let us see your work?" Serena asked. Prof. Sycamore chuckled and nodded. "Of course! Make yourselves at home!" Sycamore agreed.

So, time passed as everyone, except the Kalos Professor were having a tea break. "Everyone! Tea is ready!" Sophie called. Serena clapped her hands together, looking at her friends.

"Alright, everyone! Let's dig in!" Serena called. But, to everyone's surprise, the basket case where the macaron was was gone! "Hey, where did the macarons go?" Ash asked.

Everyone looked around as Serena grew confused. "Where did they go?" "They were here a moment ago!" Clemont and Serena replied, all looking around. Yuki then heard some munching noise.

He turned to see two green Pokémon that one looked like they were munching on some macarons. The other was pushed away, prevented from eating any. Sophie sighed as she walked over to where the two Pokémon were hiding.

"Aha! I knew it was you, Chespin! Sneaking around again? And Bulbasaur! Is Chespin not sharing?" Sophie asked. "Bulb..." The Grass Type replied weakly. Its blue stomach growled.

Bulbasaur groaned, feeling hungry. Chespin stuck its tongue at the fellow Grass Type, refusing to share, as it looked at the assistant nervously. "So, that's Chespin, huh?" Ash asked.

"Bulbasaur, too?" Yuki asked. Bulbasaur looked away, feeling both hungry and shy. "That Bulbasaur was sent to us from Prof. Oak, a shy female Bulbasaur, that is." Sophie explained.

She then turned to Chespin. "Chespin is one of the three Kalos starter Pokémon to choose from!" Sophie explained. Clemont got up, explaining to Ash. "The three Pokémon here are Froakie, the Water Type, Fennekin, a Fire Type, and the third one is Chespin, who's a Grass Type!" Clemont explained.

Ash and Yuki took out their Pokédexes. Yuki scanned Bulbasaur as Ash scanned Chespin. "Awesome! Chespin's a Grass Type!" Ash exclaimed. "Bulbasaur is a Kanto starter, huh..." Yuki stated.

_"Chespin, the Spiny Nut Pokémon. Chespin can flex the soft spikes on its head, making them so stiff and sharp, they can even pierce through stone."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

_"Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon. A young Bulbasaur uses the nutrients from its seed for the energy it needs to grow."_ Yuki's Pokédex buzzed.

Chespin grew startled as Pikachu asked to share the macarons. The Spiny Nut Pokémon turned away, refusing to share, as Bonnie came by. "It's so cute!" Bonnie squealed happily.

"If you wanted macarons, you should've just said so! Why don't you share- Ah!" Clemont started, then yelped. The stubborn Grass Type poked Clemont with its spiky head as it ran away with most of the sweets.

Bulbasaur sighed sadly as her stomach growled again. Yuki smiled, feeling a little sorry for the female Grass Type as he rubbed her bulb, much to her surprise.

As seconds passed, she relaxed smiling as Yuki took out a can of Grass Type Pokémon food, feeding the female Bulbasaur with it, much to its happiness. Sophie giggled with that, before giving the macarons basket to Serena.

"I'm very sorry. Chespin here can be bit of a prankster." Sophie apologized. "Don't worry..." Clemont assured, looking back to where Chespin ran off to. The Vaniville girl then had an idea.

"I've got an idea! Let's see what the Professor's doing, Bonnie!" Serena suggested. "Yeah! Let's go!" Bonnie agreed. The two girls left as the three boys had some macarons to finish off.

"Sophie... How long has this Bulbasaur had been staying here?" Yuki asked. "About a month, really. Trainers always took the Charmander and Squirtle, but never bothered picking Bulbasaur." Sophie explained.

"Bulba..." The Grass Type said sadly, as Yuki rubbed her head. "Hey... If you wouldn't mind... Would it be alright if I took care of Bulbasaur?" Yuki asked. Both Ash and Clemont looked at the Hawlucha Boy in surprise.

Hawlucha and Pikachu blinked in surprise with the sudden request, as Bulbasaur flushed a little. "That's fine by me! If Bulbasaur wants to, that is." Sophie agreed with a smile.

At first, the Grass Type was speechless, not knowing what to say. Then, tears welled in her eyes as she leaped onto the Hawlucha Boy's lap, cuddling on his stomach.

"You're welcome, Bulbasaur." Yuki chuckled, rubbing her bulb. "Lucha..." Hawlucha replied, feeling a little left out with the female, since it was taking all of Yuki's attention as he took another macaron.

Suddenly, there was a crash sounding in the lab. Everyone grew surprised as Ash and Hawlucha choked on their macaron, Clemont and Pikachu feeling startled, Yuki and Bulbasaur surprised.

"W-What was that!?" Clemont asked, surprised. Both Yuki and Hawlucha got up as they ran to the greenhouse. "I'm going to go take a look!" Yuki called. "Lucha Haw!" Hawlucha agreed.

Feeling forgotten, the Seed Pokémon ran after her new trainer and friend as the two boys got up, with Sophie aware of the crash.

As the duo ran to the greenhouse, they saw a truck that smashed through the wall, with all the startled Pokémon out of the way. The truck had an R shape sign on it. "It's Team Rocket!" Yuki whispered.

Just then, Hawlucha tugged on Yuki's hand as he pointed at the truck's back. "What the... Serena!? Bonnie!?" Yuki gasped. The two girls were already in the truck as the door closed!

"HEY!" Yuki yelled as he and Hawlucha ran to the back, banging on the door. They heard Bonnie banging on it as well. "Hey! Open the door! Open the door!" Bonnie yelled.

"I'm trying! It... It won't open!" Yuki yelled, pulling on the handle. "WHAT!?" Serena, Bonnie, and Prof. Sycamore can be heard inside the truck, as it suddenly began to move!

The sudden movement left the Fighting duo startled as they both fell to the ground. "Wha- Gah!" "Lucha!?" Both Yuki and Hawlucha yelped as they fell to the grassy ground.

Bulbasaur managed to catch up to the two, looking concerned for her trainer. "I'm fine... Thanks, Bulbasaur." Yuki grunted. Just then, the three saw Chespin running after the truck!

"Chespin!" The Spiny Nut Pokémon yelled, running after the truck. "Chespin, wait!" Yuki yelled. He took out Bulbasaur's Pokéball, as Sophie had given to him as he returned the Grass Type.

"Bulbasaur, return!" Yuki yelled, returning his Grass Type as he and Hawlucha ran after the truck as well. As they ran, they saw to find out that the truck was almost out of sight.

Chespin fell to the ground, tripping. The Fighting duo sweat dropped as they ran after the truck. "Sorry, Chespin!" Yuki yelled. "Hawlucha!" Hawlucha called along, following his trainer.

Behind the duo, Chespin grumbled to himself until Ash and Clemont ran over. "Chespin!" Ash called, running to the Grass Type. As the Kanto trainer ran up to Chespin, he saw Yuki running after the truck.

"Yuki! HEY! Yuki, wait!" Ash yelled. But, to his dismay, he and his Wrestling Pokémon were already out of sight. Sophie ran up to the two, panting. "Hah... Professor Sycamore is missing!" Sophie called.

"Serena and Bonnie, too!" Ash added. "Chespin!" The Spiny Nut Pokémon called, pointing to the truck, the same one that Yuki and Hawlucha were chasing. "Great! Thanks, Chespin!" Ash thanked.

"Oh no... Bonnie..." Clemont replied in worry. "I know what to do! Fletchling, I choose you!" Ash called, summoning the Tiny Robin Pokémon. "I'll let Officer Jenny know what's going on!" Sophie called.

"Great. Thank you." Clemont thanked. The Kanto trainer turned to see his Flying Type. "Fletchling! Follow Yuki and that truck!" Ash called. Fletchling chirped with a nod as it flew after the truck and Hawlucha Boy.

**Later...**

The Fighting duo managed to follow the truck that was holding Serena, Bonnie, and Prof. Sycamore. As he landed on the ground, he hid behind the shrubs that were next to the abandoned building.

Jessie and James got out of the truck, giving an evil sneer to each other. "Phase one complete!" James stated. "No must, no fuss!" Jessie sneered. With that, the two opened the doors.

As Yuki and Hawlucha sneaked up to them, they saw the captive Kalos Professor, Serena, and Bonnie, with Dedenne. "How did they get in here!?" Jessie snapped. "This isn't your truck!" James scolded.

"Prepare for trouble, I'd say you bad people have finally met your match!" Bonnie smirked, copying Team Rocket's motto. Serena did the same, adjusting her hat.

"And make it a double-crook catch! To protect the world from-" Serena started, but was interrupted by Jessie. "Twerp thieves!" Jessie shrieked angrily. "Copyright infringment! Get away from him!" James demanded.

Serena glared at the two, demanding their release. "You let us go now, or you're gonna wish you had!" Serena demanded. Jessie grew ticked off as she tightened her fist.

"WHAT a pain! You must be a twerpette out!" Jessie shrieked. "And wish you'll had!" James snapped, grabbing a duct tape. The two dove to the girls, causing a rampage in the back of the truck.

Both Yuki and Hawlucha sweat dropped, seeing that the results were that Serena and Bonnie were completely tied up. The little girl didn't feel like giving up, though.

"You're in trouble! Dedenne, use Thundershock, now!" Bonnie called. But, to her dismay, the Electric Type was sleeping in her bag! The duo fell over, annoyed with this reaction.

"They're right about one thing... This is a pain..." Yuki grumbled. "Lucha..." Hawlucha agreed, sweat dropping. Just then, they saw Meowth jump into the back, joining his comrades.

"Look, pal! All we want is your Mega Evolution secret! Spill the beans and we'll let the bunch of you out of here! But, if you want to be a dope and say no..." Meowth threatened.

He took out a glass, beginning to scratch it, making a horrible noise! "So, start talking!" Meowth demanded. The terrible sounds reached everyone's ears as both Yuki and Hawlucha plugged their ears.

"No choice! Hawlucha, use Aerial Ace!" Yuki yelled. The Fighting Type nodded as he flew straight after the Kalos Professor gave up. "Stop! Alright, you win!" Prof. Sycamore yelled.

The screeching stopped as the Professor explained. "The Mega Evolution secrets are in my coat pocket!" Sycamore called. "In here- Gah!" Meowth started, then yelped.

Aerial Ace made its hit as it smashed the glass, knocking Meowth off balance. "What's that?" Serena asked. "It's Hawlucha!" Bonnie exclaimed happily. Jessie blinked in surprise.

"So the martial arts twerp is here!?" Jessie asked. But, before anyone else could react, Hawlucha suddenly disappeared! "He's gone!" Serena called. "That twerp must be planning a sneak attack, so stay sharp!" James warned.

"Roger!" Jessie agreed. Meowth continued to dig through the coat pocket, taking something out. "What do we have here? It's a memory card!" Meowth cackled, letting an evil sneer.

The evil trio took the captive ones to their temporary base, as Yuki sweated. "Huff... That was close call, right Hawlucha?" Yuki asked. "Haw." Hawlucha agreed, taking some sharps off of his wing.

They landed to the ground, running over, as they peeked at the door that was enough for a person to fit into. "Yuki! Hawlucha!" Ash called. The Fighting duo turned to see their other friends coming by.

"What took you so long?" Yuki teased, seeing Clemont pant in exhaustion. "Sorry for the holdup." Ash whispered, with the Hawlucha Boy nodding in approval.

So, the three boys with the three Pokémon peeked at the crack in the base as they looked to see what was happening. "There they are!" Ash whispered, seeing the captive ones and Team Rocket.

"So, Team Rocket was behind this after all!" Clemont whispered. Inside, the captive ones were glaring at the evil trio. "What are you doing!?" Bonnie snapped angrily.

"Stifle your obnoxious twerpish whining until our mission is complete!" James scolded. Unknown to the three boys peeking at them, Chespin grinned as it saw the macaron basket.

"Hey... What do you think they're doing?" Bonnie asked. "They're probably trying to use my Mega Evolution data for no good." Prof. Sycamore guessed. "Huh!? Then, why did you let them take the memory card?" Serena asked.

"Well... I would've preferred not to... But, keeping you two safe is much more important to me!" Prof. Sycamore answered, smiling sadly. Meanwhile, James inserted the memory card on their laptop.

"And... in!" James chuckled. "So, after all that, do you think this will work?" Jessie asked. "Of course! We simply input the Mega Evolution data into our secret weapon program, and we'll be good to go! Downloading..." James explained.

The computer began to download the data, faster than they expected it to be. "Hey, this gig is pumping me up, big time!" Meowth smirked. Outside, the three boys prepared for a sneak attack.

"We've got to get them all out of there!" Ash called. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed. "Now, hold on! We can't just rush in, or we'll get caught, too!" Clemont reminded.

Just then, they heard a loud crash! The three boys, Pikachu, and Hawlucha turned to see Chespin groaning as it had crashed onto the empty cans. He was caught by the evil trio.

"It's Chespin!" Bonnie, Serena, and Sycamore called out together. Chespin chuckled nervously as Yuki face palmed. "That little Grass Type... He blew our cover!" Yuki snapped. "Lucha..." Hawlucha muttered, not impressed with the Grass Type.

"Ah... Now that I think of it... rushing them is a good idea!" Clemont agreed. "Right!" Ash and Yuki agreed. With that, the three rushed into the buidling.

"We're gonna get you out of here!" Clemont yelled as he and the other two ran with Pikachu and Hawlucha, preparing themselves for battle. Team Rocket only sneered at their appearance.

"Well well! Why go chasing after Pikachu and Hawlucha, when the two of them are chasing us?" Jessie sneered. "Let our friends go, Team Rocket!" Ash demanded.

And so, with the problem coming again, no thanks to Team Rocket, Yuki, Ash, and Clemont will have to find a way to save their friends and escape! How will this work out? Stay tuned for some more!

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Double Team)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Tackle, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 14: VS Mega Mega Meowth!**

**Chapter 15: Double Trouble Separation!**

**Chapter 16: Pangoro To Leaf In!**

**Chapter 17: A Bug to Smuggle!**

**Chapter 18: Vivillon To Glide!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Meowth: Ha ha ha! With this big baby, you twerps will be soon out of the way!

Jessie: Catch both Pikachu and Hawlucha, pronto!

Ash: Oh no you don't! You're not getting Pikachu!

Yuki: Get out of my way, you pathetic losers!

Serena: Yuki! What's happening to you!? You're acting different!

Clemont: You were nothing like this before! What's gotten into you!?


	14. VS Mega Mega Meowth!

**Chapter 14: VS Mega Mega Meowth!**

Last time on "Pokémon Kalos Journey", the group were now leaving Lumiose City, after saving Clemont's Gym last night, when Serena made an idea to visit Prof. Sycamore with her baked macarons.

As they got there, they met up with the Kalos Professor, who had a sneaky Chespin and a shy Bulbasaur. After hearing of Bulbasaur not being chosen, Yuki requested for him to take the Grass Type.

But then, after getting Bulbasaur as his fourth Pokémon, there was a crash, with Team Rocket kidnapping Prof. Sycamore, Bonnie, and Serena. Yuki and Hawlucha chased after them, being led to an abandoned building.

Yuki made a distraction, but failed to swipe the memory card from the evil trio, as Ash and Clemont met up with the Fighting duo. With Chespin blowing their cover, the boys rushed in to save their friends.

"Well well! Why go chase after Pikachu and Hawlucha, when the two of them are chasing us?" Jessie sneered. "Let our friends go free, Team Rocket!" Ash demanded.

"Prepare for trouble, you're half right!"

"That is our name, but your friends are stuck tight!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all the people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"And James!"

"Team Rocket, blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare for one Mega Evolved fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

After their motto was finished, James let out an evil smirk. "That's how it's done." James smirked. "Serena, are you okay?" Ash asked. The evil trio turned in surprise that their motto was completely ignored!

"I'm fine..." Serena assured. "Did Team Rocket hurt you?" Clemont asked. "I'm fine! Don't worry!" Bonnie assured. "Could you untie me, too?" Prof. Sycamore asked.

"Sure thing, Professor." Yuki replied. "Hawlucha Haw!" The Wrestling Pokémon agreed, trying to rip the rope around the Professor with his strength. While they were doing that, Team Rocket was outraged at this.

"We give you a totally awesome motto and you twerps totally give us the brush off!" Meowth complained, flailing, yet frustrated as well. "Wobbuffet..." The Patient Pokémon agreed.

Once the captive ones were freed from their bonds, Ash grinned. "Okay! Let's all get out of here!" Ash called. "Argh! That's NOT going to happen!" Jessie shrieked angrily, startling the group.

Just then, the laptop on the memory card's data was all set! "The Mega software is all ready to roll, folks!" Meowth reminded. James slid over, immediately getting to his work.

"Excellent! Now, we can catch both Pikachu and Hawlucha the modern Mega Evolution way! Ready, Meowth?" James sneered. "Thought you'd never ask!" Meowth sneered as he ran to the hidden machine.

As he got under the tarp of the machine, something was glowing! The group and the Kalos Professor looked at it in startle. "What is this? What's under the tarp!?" Yuki demanded.

"Oh, you'll see soon enough! With our Mega Evolution data secret weapon program, it's now Mega Evolution times two!" James declared, jamming on his laptop buttons with a sneer.

"Or... our magnificent... Mega Mega Meowth machine!" Jessie presented, as James made the finishing touch on the start of the hidden machine. "Activating program!" James declared.

"What kind of machine is it!?" Clemont asked, sweating. As he asked, the tarp flew out, revealing a machine that looked like a Meowth, but with a different appearance to it!

The machine growled, getting ready to make program. "Rock and roll!" Meowth laughed as he controlled the insides of the machine. With his control, the machine began to move.

Both Clemont and Prof. Sycamore were quite amazed by the villain's invention. "Oh my... Marvelous! It looks powerful!" Prof. Sycamore complimented. "Wow! I know they're our enemy, but that's a super cool invention!" Clemont complimented.

SMACK!

"Oww..." Clemont groaned as he held his head, which Hawlucha used Karate Chop on. "Hawlucha! Lucha Haw!" Hawlucha snapped angrily. Yuki glared back at the two with annoyance.

"What Hawlucha is trying to say, is that this is no time to admire it! We have to move, now!" Yuki yelled, as he pushed the professor and Clemont out of the building. Ash, Serena, and Bonnie followed.

"Come on, guys!" Ash called. With that, everyone retreated out of the building as the machine rumbled after them. As they were running however, Chespin tripped, causing the macarons to fall out of the basket!

Clemont managed to see it and gasped. "Wha... Chespin, no!" Clemont yelled. He ran towards the Spiny Nut Pokémon, diving towards it as he held the Pokémon, getting it out of danger.

With that done, the Lumiose Gym Leader hid behind the concrete that was holding another old building up. Meanwhile, everyone else faced the Meowth machine as Meowth sneered.

"Operation: Pikachu and Hawlucha Catch! Making it real!" Meowth cackled. He controlled the robot, which began to make its attack on both Pikachu and Hawlucha. Ash and Yuki called their attacks.

"Alright! Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" "Hawlucha! Use Flying Press!" Ash and Yuki yelled. Pikachu shot the electricity as it was suddenly absorbed by the charm on the machine!

As Hawlucha flew down with Flying Press, the deflected electricity zapped Hawlucha, along with Pikachu! The two yelled in pain as they fell to the ground. Everyone else tried to protect themselves.

"No, Hawlucha!" Yuki gasped. "Pikachu!" Ash coughed, gritting his teeth. "This machine can deflect your Thunderbolt, while at the same time deflecting Flying Press, which gives us the Mega upperhand!" James sneered.

Both Pikachu and Hawlucha struggled to get up, as both of their trainers grew concerned. "Pikachu!" Ash called, sweating. "Stay strong, Hawlucha. Don't let some machine beat you!" Yuki reminded.

"Lucha Haw!" Hawlucha grunted as he helped the Electric Type up. The two of them glared at the machine, as Jessie made her call. "Now! Let's make Not Catching Pikachu, a thing in the past, while also catching Hawlucha!" Jessie called.

"Talk about a Mega Mega blast!" James sneered. "This one's for the boss! We'll hand over the most powerful Pikachu and Hawlucha he's ever seen!" Meowth cackled.

Inside, he targeted the two weakened Pokémon, charging towards them. "Pikachu! Get out of there!" Ash yelled. Pikachu attempted to move, until it was too late. But then, he felt something grabbing him.

Hawlucha put himself in front of the Electric Type, protecting him from the machine. "Hawlucha! LOOK OUT!" Yuki bellowed desperately. But, it was too late, as the Wrestling Pokémon took major damage!

Both Hawlucha and Pikachu were sent flying towards the ground, as they were badly damaged. "NO!" Yuki yelled as he ran over to his Fighting Type. Ash ran over, checking on his friend.

"Hawlucha! Are you alright!?" Yuki asked. "Lucha..." Hawlucha groaned, trying to get up, but couldn't. The Hawlucha Boy noticed a big bruise on his back, causing him to pale up.

"Here it comes again!" Ash yelled. Both boys looked up to see the machine coming, as they both grabbed their Pokémon, dodging its attack. Yuki was sent flying to the ground, hard.

Ash ran, but fell to the ground. "Oh no!" "Get out of there!, Ash! Yuki!" "Ash! Yuki!" Bonnie, Prof. Sycamore, and Serena yelled. The machine began to come towards their way.

Yuki gave a dirty glare at the Mega Mega Meowth machine as he got in front of his three friends. "Yuki! What are you doing!?" Ash yelled. The Hawlucha Boy didn't answer, only to get ready to withstand the attack coming.

"Incoming!" Yuki yelled. Ash covered both Pikachu and the weakened Hawlucha as they braced themselves for the attack. But then, nothing happened. Both trainers looked to see that the machine stopped.

Even Meowth grew confused. "Now, what's wrong?... Where's the juice!?" Meowth panicked. Jessie and James were confused as well. "Some sort of blackout?" Jessie asked. "Looks that way!" James agreed.

Yuki stood up, shaking a little. "Yuki?" Ash asked. Hawlucha opened his eyes, recovering a little as he saw his partner in front of him. "L-Lucha?" Hawlucha weakly asked.

"Don't talk, Hawlucha. You need to recover... Because of these pathetic losers..." Yuki growled, leaving everyone surprised, including Team Rocket. "Y-Yuki?" Serena asked. "What's going on?" Sycamore asked.

Suddenly, a dark aura surrounded Yuki's body; a weak dark aura. "**You fools just beaten up the first friend I knew... VERY badly... That's why... I'll crush you here right now!**" Yuki yelled.

He took out a Pokéball, summoning his other Pokémon. "**Heracross, crush your enemies!**" Yuki darkly yelled. As Heracross was sent out, the Kanto trainer turned to see why the machine stopped.

It was Clemont! He and Chespin were holding the electric plug that seemed to have gave the machine power. The Lumiose Gym Leader smirked, with his glasses flashing.

As for the evil trio, they were panicking. "W-Wha... What's with this twerp?" Jessie asked. "Grrr... What do I do to fix this thing!?" Meowth yelled. James quickly ran over, afraid of the aura from Yuki.

"Turn on the auxillary power source!" James quickly called. Meowth nodded and turned on the extra power. "Ten four! Extra power juice, you're up! Connecting power to main engine, now!" Meowth called.

Yuki laughed, only it sounded like a dark laugh. "**Go ahead then! Get more power! You'll be still no match against my Pokémon's power! Heracross! Swords Dance, now!**" Yuki called.

Heracross, at first, was reluctant, as he was concerned about his trainer. But, he obeyed, gaining more attack strength from the Swords Dance. Clemont and Chespin came over, feeling serious at the moment.

"I'll say one thing... They're prepared!" Clemont replied, getting serious. "**It doesn't matter whether they're prepared or not. Either way, they're still going down**!" Yuki smirked darkly.

"Yuki! What's going on with you!?" Ash asked. "You're acting nothing like this before!" Clemont called. "**Nothing is going on. Just more power, that is**." Yuki chuckled darkly.

"Yuki..." Serena replied, feeling worried for the Hawlucha Boy, who was surrounded by dark aura. "What is this!? There's dark aura around Yuki!? What is going on!?" Sycamore asked, sweating.

"That's what we'd want to know!" Clemont called. "Ches..." The Spiny Nut Pokémon hid behind Clemont's leg, a bit frightened of the dark Yuki. "Yuki! Snap out of it!" Ash yelled.

"**Heracross, use Brick Break**!" Yuki yelled. Heracross sweat dropped, knowing this wasn't Yuki, but went on ahead with the order as he slammed his Brick Break on the machine multiple times!

But, to everyone's surprise, there was no dent! "No use! It's not working!" Clemont gasped. "**In that case, use Megahorn, full power!**" Yuki called.

Megahorn was struck as it made a hit, but the machine deflected right back! Meowth cackled with that. "Hee hee hee! Thanks! That kind of tick-" Meowth started, but was interrupted.

"**You talk too much, for a useless Pokémon who can't fight like a real one.**" Yuki taunted, leaving Meowth furious. "OH YEAH!? Well, this useless one is about to knock your head off!" Meowth bellowed.

He controlled the robot, trying to make it move. But, to everyone's surprise, Heracross stopped it with another Megahorn attack! Even Chespin joined in with a bunch of Tackle attacks!

"Go for it, Chespin! Heracross!" Ash cheered. "Look at those two go!" Clemont replied in surprise. "Pikachu! Pika Pi!" Pikachu called. Ash grinned at his Electric Type.

"Yeah! You three together! Pikachu! Quick Attack!" Ash called. Together, Pikachu, Chespin, and Heracross all attacked with their physical attacks. But, it turned out to be futile.

"Keep it up, twerp Pokémon! But, you can never defeat Mega Mega Meowth!" Meowth taunted. The three Pokémon grunted as they got up. "**Add more power into it!** **Keep going!**" Yuki shouted.

This time, Heracross shook his head sadly, as Yuki gritted his teeth. "**Do it, or you'll get hurt by those fools like they did with Hawlucha-** **!**" Yuki started, but stopped suddenly.

Everyone turned to see Hawlucha hugging Yuki tightly. "Hawlucha! Lucha Haw! Hawlucha!" The Wrestling Pokémon pleaded, hugging his best friend tightly, as tears welled in his eyes.

With the pleading, the dark aura surrounding Yuki began to disappear. "The darkness is fading!" Sycamore exclaimed. "Does that mean... Yuki is turning back to normal!?" Serena asked.

"I hope so..." Bonnie replied sadly. Just then, a Flare Blitz came by, smashing into Mega Mega Meowth! "WHAT WAS THAT!?" Meowth yelled, trying to regain control.

Everyone, except the unconscious Yuki, turned to see Mega Blaziken, standing on a tree branch. "Check it out!... I remember them..." Ash replied, recalling the time back at the Prism Tower.

"That's incredible!" Serena exclaimed. Even Bonnie and the Kalos Professor was surprised, too. "Uh oh... Mega Blaziken!?" Meowth gasped. Jessie and James started to panic as well.

"Use Flamethrower now!" Blaziken Man called. Mega Blaziken leapt in the air, shooting powerful flames at the machine. "It's getting warmer in here!" Meowth panicked.

The Fire Type move blasted through the machine, causing it to explode! Everyone protected themselves as Heracross and Hawlucha held onto their trainer tight to prevent him from being blown away.

As the dust cleared, the machine was completely charred. Parts of it fell to the ground! "Ah!" James gasped in shock. "It's charred boiled!" Jessie gulped.

"Both sides are Mega Evolved, but the machine got burned in one shot!" James panicked. The machine went into pieces as it revealed Meowth, who got burned as well, coughing up smoke.

With this, both Ash and Clemont saw their chance to attack. "Now! Pikachu, Electro Ball!" Ash called. "Now, I'm sure your Pin Missile will work on this one, Chespin!" Clemont called.

The two Pokémon nodded as they jumped in the air, launching their attacks at the broken and charred machine. Meowth ducked, only for the two attacks to hit the power generator!

It began to whistle and hiss. "Sounds like it's making tea!" Meowth panicked. "Mega Mega Meowth took a direct hit to its power core! Is that the whistling sound of doom?" James asked.

He began to twitch, as Jessie did the same. "If so, you know what's next!" Jessie laughed nervously, shaking. With those words, the charred machine exploded! Team Rocket were sent flying in the air.

"AH! WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" The evil trio screamed as they were out of sight into the sky. "And don't come back!" Clemont called. "We did it, Clemont!" Ash exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Clemont agreed. With the excitement, everyone turned to see Mega Blaziken and the Blaziken Man as they jumped out of sight. "Mega Blaziken was awesome!" Ash commented.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu called. He jumped onto his trainer's shoulder, as the Kanto trainer laughed. "Chespin, Heracross, and Pikachu were pretty awesome, too!" Clemont agreed.

He walked over to the groaning Grass Type, who seemed a bit hungry. The Spiny Nut Pokémon blinked to see the Lumiose Gym Leader. "You know? I think you deserve a little reward!" Clemont replied.

He opened Serena's basket of macarons, presenting them to the hungry Chespin. "Yummy macarons!" Clemont replied. Chespin happily ran over to eat some, but stopped at the moment.

He then grabbed some other macarons and began to share them with everyone. He gave each one to everyone, except Yuki, who was still unconscious at the moment.

Everyone smiled as they thanked the Grass Type for his sharing. "Be careful, or there won't be any for you!" Clemont reminded. Chespin nodded with a smile, as he gave a few macarons to Hawlucha and Heracross.

The two Fighting Types thanked the Grass Type as everyone laughed at the Gras Type's actions.

**Later, that evening...**

Everyone was back at the research lab. Yuki was conscious now as he finally opened his eyes. "Yuki! You're okay!" Ash exclaimed. "That's such a relief!" "We were so worried about you!" Serena and Clemont exclaimed happily.

"Hawlucha!" The Wrestling Pokémon replied, hugging his best friend. "H-Hawlucha?... Everyone... What happened? I remember we were attacked by Team Rocket... And then... I feel like I blacked out." Yuki muttered.

Everyone grew surprised as they nodded to each other. "Well, you fell unconscious for some reason, so we managed to take care of Team Rocket, blasting them off!" Ash half-lied.

The others agreed with a nod, also joining in with the lie as well. "Oh... I see... Sorry I made you all worried..." Yuki apologized. His four friends nodded as they got up, talking to each other.

"Shouldn't we have just tell Yuki the truth?" Serena asked. "No! If we do that, he might be frightened of himself and he won't become like himself anymore!" Clemont explained. Ash nodded to the idea.

"I really hate it lying to Yuki, but we really have no choice, I guess." Ash agreed. The others nodded in agreement, with Yuki not knowing.

Later, everyone was preparing to leave Lumiose City to continue their way for Cyllage City. "Thank you for all your help. Thanks to you all, I'm free again!" Prof. Sycamore chuckled.

"Yeah, but... Your research lab is messed up again!" Ash reminded. "Pika Pikachu..." Pikachu agreed. The Kalos Professor smiled, waving his hand in reassurance.

"Not to worry! I'll have it all fixed by the time you all come visit again!" Sycamore assured. "Alright then. Best wishes, Professor." Yuki replied. "Hawlucha Cha." Hawlucha agreed.

"Well, I guess we better get going!" Serena giggled. "Great to see you again!" Clemont replied. Just then, Bonnie tapped on her older brother. "Big brother, excuse me." Bonnie called.

The Lumiose Gym Leader knelt down, to his little sister's level. "Bonnie, is something wrong?" Clemont asked. "Look over there! It's been watching us!" Bonnie called, pointing to where Chespin is.

Everyone turned to see the Grass Type staring at them. "Chespin?... You were a big help, Chespin! I hope that I'll see you soon!" Clemont assured. The Spiny Nut Pokémon panicked.

"Chespin! Chespin Ches!" Chespin protested, leaving Clemont confused. "You know, Clemont. It seems to me that Chespin wants to go with you!... Hm. It's an amazing thing to see with the likes of you, Ash, and Yuki, when you're together!" Sycamore explained.

Clemont was speechless as he was tugged onto his little sister. "Clemont? I want to travel with Chespin together! Please, please, please?" Bonnie asked, with her cheeks turning rosy.

The Lumiose Gym Leader sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, would that really be okay? Is it alright if I bring Chespin with us?" Clemont asked. "Of course! After all, that's what Chespin wants!" Sycamore chuckled.

He took out a Pokéball that seemed to be Chespin's. "I happen to have Chespin's Pokéball right here with me! It's yours!" Sycamore chuckled, handing the Pokéball to the Gym Leader.

Clemont smiled as he walked over to the Spiny Nut Pokémon with a smile. "So, Prof. Sycamore says that it's okay for you to travel with us!" Clemont exclaimed. "Ches!" Chespin cheered.

The Lumiose Gym Leader chuckled as he held the Pokéball in front of the Grass Type. "That's great! Now then, it's a pleasure to meet you all over again!" Clemont chuckled. He returned Chespin back to his Pokéball.

He held the ball up in triumph with Bonnie cheering alongside with him. "Yes! Today is a great day because of science! I caught a Chespin!" Clemont called. "Chespin's a keeper, too!" Bonnie exclaimed.

Ash grinned as he adjusted his hat. "Now! Off to Cyllage City!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed. "Take care, Professor Sycamore! Bye!" Ash called, running off.

"Remember to take great care of Bulbasaur, Yuki!" The Kalos Professor called. "I will, Professor. Best wishes!" Yuki called, running off. "Bye bye!" Serena said, running with the two boys.

"Time for an adventure!" "Good-bye!" Bonnie and Clemont replied as they followed their three friends, with Clemont gaining Chespin, as Yuki gains Bulbasaur.

But now, Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie must keep a dark secret of the darkness that's hidden inside Yuki? What will happen next? Stay tuned for some more!

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Double Team)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 15: Double Trouble Separation!**

**Chapter 16: Pangoro To Leaf In!**

**Chapter 17: A Bug to Smuggle!**

**Chapter 18: Vivillon to Glide!**

**Chapter 19: The Kindergarten Exhibition!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: What the!? Pikachu! What are you doing to him, Team Rocket!?

Jessie: That's for you to find out, twerp! Once we're done, we'll be taking the Pokémon back to headquarters!

Yuki: Like that's ever going to happen! Get back here!

Clemont: Whoa! Team Rocket's balloon exploded!

Serena: Then, they must be separated from all that mess!

Yuki: Hang on, Hawlucha! I'll find you!


	15. Double Trouble Separation!

**Chapter 15: Double Trouble Separation!**

It was a bright day, as the group were having a lunch break in a bamboo forest, where they released their Pokémon to enjoy their lunch as well. They've had quite an experience from yesterday.

Unaware to Yuki... Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie witnessed Yuki being taken over by the darkness after Hawlucha was badly hurt from Team Rocket's Mega Mega Meowth robot machine.

The four decided to keep the darkness secret from Yuki, thinking he might not be himself when he discovers the secret. Hawlucha decided to keep the secret as well, despite not liking it to keep it from his trainer.

Little did the four trainers know, that two unknown Pokémon were watching them have their lunch.

**[Pokémon: XY Volt Opening (English Subbed)]**

(Pikachu was shown kissing the screen until he ran with Ash, Yuki, and Hawlucha)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying,**_

(A scene showed a route crossroad, with Meowstic and a group of Swirlix floating by)

_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark, **_

(A grassfield where Vivillon, and Swanna groups are flying at a nearby town)

(Underwater where Water Type were swimming underwater)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were seeing a town from a bridge view)

_**Ice, Normal, Fighting, Fire,**_

(A flower field shows; a group of macarons show; a rainy night shows)

_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy,**_

(The group runs along the route in the city)

_**Come on, from here on out it's an adventure and there's only light ahead**_

(Ash's blue background show him and Pikachu sharing sandwiches together)

_**The sky overflows with a rain of tears but we push through**_

(Serena's pink background show her picking a hat, while Fennekin happily runs around her)

_**Come on, use your courage to be better than you were yesterday**_

(Clemont's blue and yellow background show him inventing a machine before it explodes, while Bonnie runs with Dedenne and Chespin)

_**Treasure any encounter  
****  
Heart's pounding, Challenger!**_

(Yuki's green background shows him and Hawlucha sparring with each other, while Litleo, Heracross, and Bulbasaur cheers)

_**Someday, my dream will be fulfilled **_

(Ash, Yuki, Hawlucha, and Pikachu were running only to be blocked by a huge cliff)

(Silhouettes of Gym Leader shine in front of the two)

_**That's what you have taught me, and that's why I travel**_

(Serena place a hand on Ash's left shoulder, Clemont places a hand on Yuki's right shoulder, Bonnie grabs the two's hands together)

(The group runs to the field on their journey)

_**As the red ring of bonds spreads far and wide**_

I'll definitely reach out to everyone with this energy I suddenly feel

(Ash and Yuki make attack calls; Pikachu and Hawlucha fights and defeat the trainers' Honedge and Pangoro)

_**This blue planet of ours is shining with hope**_

(Clemont calls for attacks; Chespin uses Pin Missile, and Bunnelby uses Dig)

(Bonnie cheers, as Dedenne uses Thundershock)

(Serena calls for an attack; Fennekin uses Ember)

(Yuki calls for attacks; Bulbasaur uses Razor Leaf, Litleo uses Ember, Heracross uses Megahorn, and Hawlucha uses Karate Chop)

_**The yellow flowers bloom**_

(Ash calls for attacks: Froakie uses Water Pulse, Fletchling uses Steel Wing, as Pikachu uses Electro Ball)

(A Mega Evolution sign appears; Mega Lucario roars, sending huge power)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying**_  
_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark**_  
_**Ice, Normal, Fire, Fighting**_  
_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy**_

(Xerneas and Yvetal appears; The Japanese opening title appears)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie smile at the viewers with their Pokémon)

**(Title opening ends)**

As the group were eating, Pikachu perked his ears up to hear something. All the other Pokémon heard the sounds as well as they all looked around, except for Chespin. The trainers noticed.

"What's wrong?" Ash asked. "Do you all hear something?" Yuki asked. Heracross, Hawlucha, Litleo, and Bulbasaur nodded as they looked around with the other Pokémon.

Then, after for a while, they heard rustling coming from the bushes! "Sounds like something's moving..." Serena replied. "Hope it's a Pokémon!" Bonnie giggled. "Let's hope it's not a ferocious one." Yuki muttered.

Froakie responded to this as he jumped in the air, throwing his frubbles at the bushes. When the frubbles reached the bushes, they heard Pokémon cries, sounding like struggling ones.

"There is something in there!" Ash exclaimed. As he said those words, two Pokémon jumped out of the bushes, trying to get the frubbles off of their face, shaking their head violently.

Both Ash and Yuki chuckled as they walked over, taking out their handkerchief and rag. "Sorry to scare you like that!" Ash apologized. Yuki only smiled as he kept wiping the frubbles off.

Serena took out her Pokédex, scanning the new Pokémon. _"Pancham, the Playful Pokémon. Though it tries to look tough, Pancham has trouble being taken seriously by opponents."_ Serena's Pokédex buzzed.

"Okay... That should clear all the frubbles away..." Yuki replied. With all the frubbles gone, the two Panchams smiled at the two boys who wiped their face off.

Clemont walked over to see Serena's Pokédex. "But those Pancham look so different!" Serena stated. She looked to see that the Pancham were cutely rubbing their faces with their paws.

"These two are much cuter!" Serena stated. "The Pokédex do say that they do their best to look tough... So, I guess this must be their normal faces!" Clemont guessed. Yuki looked at the two, frowning.

"Normal faces? You sure about that? The faces that the Pokédexes give are never wrong..." Yuki asked, feeling confused at the moment. He looked at his Wrestling Pokémon, who was curious as well.

"What do you think?" Yuki asked. "Lucha Haw." Hawlucha shrugged, not knowing what to say. "Well, there have been no reports about someone complaining or disagreeing with a Pokédex before." Clemont admitted.

"Really?" Serena asked. She and the inventor walked over to the two Playful Pokémon, which they were happily running over to Chespin. The five humans looked at the Panchams, who were looking at Chespin's Pokémon food.

Their eyes seemed to be glowing of some sort, like wanting to have a taste at the food. Chespin grew nervous to that as he sweat dropped at the two's faces.

Pikachu, Hawlucha, and the other Pokémon grew confused to their faces as well. They made cuter faces, sounding like that they wanted something.

"I wonder what they are saying?" Serena asked. Ash was more confused than anyone else. "Maybe they're asking Chespin to share his Pokémon food?" Ash guessed. Yuki laughed nervously at that.

"Well... It surely seems that way with their expression..." Yuki chuckled, shrugging. "Yeah... I wish I knew what they meant!" Serena wished, giving Clemont his time to shine.

He flashed his glasses, sounding like he was already prepared for the wish. "Hm! You just leave that to me! The future is now, thanks to science! Clemontic Gear, on!" Clemont declared, revealing an invention.

"Allow me to present our Pokémon translater!" Clemont declared. Ash's eyes twinkled like stars, Serena getting intrigued, while Bonnie and Yuki sweat dropped with the name.

"You've got to get better at names!" Bonnie pointed out. "Although, the machine would make sense since that's what we wanted to wish for... to understand Pokémon..." Yuki chuckled.

The Lumiose Gym Leader cleared his throat, before explaining about his machine. "My brilliant invention allows the user to understand Pokémon, which facilitates better communication with Pokémon, by a complete analysis over vocal tone, movement, and its expression!" Clemont explained.

Yuki rubbed the back of his neck as Clemont lowered the microphone to one of the Panchams. "Pancham, would you say something? Switch on!" Clemont called, activating the machine.

The two Fighting Types looked at each other, before one got close to the mic, saying his words. "What do you have, belongs to everyone!" The invention said, translating their words.

The Electric Type Leader grinned as he turned to his three friends and his younger sister. "See!? It gave us a perfect translation!" Clemont assured. "Science is so amazing!" Ash exclaimed.

The Hawlucha Boy sweat dropped, before seeing the two Panchams plotting something. "And what are you two trying to do?" Yuki asked. The two little ones shook up, before laughing nervously at Yuki.

The Hawlucha Boy narrowed his eyes as the two Panchams, as both Bonnie and Serena grew confused. "Did they really say that stuff?" Bonnie asked.

"Who knows? Maybe they did... I'll bet they're saying the same thing that Ash has said, Chespin should share its food with them!" Serena guessed. The two Playful Pokémon nodded with happy looks.

Clemont then grew confused as he try to look to see if something was wrong. "Why didn't my machine function properly? I suppose my machine could've chosen its words poorly." Clemont groaned.

Bonnie sweat dropped as all the Pokémon blinked in surprise. Pikachu ran over to the Kanto trainer, trying to tell him something. "Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu tried to explain, as Ash knelt down.

"What, Pikachu?" Ash asked. Before Pikachu could talk, the two Playful Pokémon cheered for some reason, as the Vaniville girl giggled.

"Are you two hungry? I'll get you some food!" Serena assured, much to Pikachu and Hawlucha's shock. "You know, perhaps Ash was correct after all... Wh-Wah!" Clemont began, then yelped.

His little machine translator exploded, leaving the inventor with a bushy hair. It caused both Litleo and Bulbasaur to stifle their giggles, as Froakie sweat dropped with another failure.

Both Serena and Yuki placed a bowl of Pokémon food for the two Panchams to eat. "Okay! Here you go!" "Eat up while it's still tasty!" Serena and Yuki called, as the two little ones cheered.

They began to eat their food, as they sudddenly finished it off quickly! They then jumped all over the place, eating the group's food, and the other Pokémon's food, except Hawlucha, who already finished his.

Everyone gasped in shock as all of their food was eaten up by the two little Panchams. The two slumped down, stuffed with the food they had just ate. "They ate everything we had!" Bonnie shrieked.

Bulbasaur looked teary as Litleo scoffed, turning from the two Fighting Types angrily. Heracross sighed, but was okay with it, since he was already full, while Hawlucha had finished his.

"Those little scoundrels... They didn't ask to share, they forcefully ate it all!" Yuki scolded, annoyed with their trickery. Chespin complained angrily about his food being eaten up.

At that moment, Clemont flashed up happily. "My Pokémon translator was right! They said that what we have, belongs to everyone, which means our lunch belongs to the Panchams, too!" Clemont explained.

"Hey! In case you haven't noticed, they ate everything without our permission!" Yuki snapped, glaring at the excited Gym Leader. "That doesn't help us at all now!" Bonnie complained.

Ash didn't seem fazed by this, though. "Clemont, like I said, science is so amazing!" Ash commented. The comment left Serena and Yuki to sweat drop as Clemont flushed with a smile.

"Uh... I guess you can say that!" Clemont chuckled. Hawlucha, Pikachu, Fennekin, and Froakie comforted the sad Spiny Nut Pokémon as a shadow suddenly loomed over them!

Voices were also heard as well. "Aim..." "FIRE!" The two voices shouted out. Just then, a cube was thrown, as a net surrounded the five startled Pokémon! Everyone was shocked to see the net.

"Pikachu! Froakie!" "Fennekin!" "Chespin!" "Hawlucha, no!" Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Yuki gasped. The two Panchams, startled as well, used the distraction to run off, escaping the situation.

The five captured Pokémon struggled to get out of the net as the group looked to see a familiar evil trio. "Pikachu's ours! Friends included!" Team Rocket cheered as they began to float away.

"No... Not you morons again!" Yuki snapped. He felt something taking over him again, until the balloon began floating away. "Surprise, surprise!" Jessie cackled. "Time flies!" "Away we fly!" Meowth and James taunted.

They were starting to get away with their balloon. "Hold it right there!" Yuki demanded, running after them. "Oh no you don't! Fletchling, after them!" Ash called.

The Tiny Robin Pokémon nodded as it began to fly after the retreating balloon. "Not full fast!" James called, summoning his Pokémon. Inkay appeared, ready to fight off the chase.

"Inkay, let's go!" James called. The Psychic-Dark type sprayed ink at the Flying Type, who dodged several times, before being sprayed at the face! Some of the ink went to Yuki's eyes.

"Agh! Not again!" Yuki groaned. "Fletchling, no!" Ash gasped, as he ran to catch his Tiny Robin Pokémon. "No... Oh yes!" The evil trio cheered. They began to fly away as Ash put his cap on.

Heracross took the rag from Yuki's backpack as he wiped it off of his trainer's face. "T-Thanks, Heracross." Yuki thanked. The Bug Type nodded with a smile as Litleo and Bulbasaur ran over with concerned looks.

"Come on, let's go after them!" Ash called. "Right behind you!" Serena agreed. "Hang on, Hawlucha. I'm coming!" Yuki called, putting on his gloved hands, as he returned his Pokémon to their Pokéballs.

As they were running to the balloon, it suddenly exploded, leaving the group surprised. "Team Rocket's balloon exploded!" Clemont stated. "Our poor Pokémon!" Serena replied, feeling sad.

"So, we need Dedenne's help!" Clemont called out. The idea left his little sister confused. "Dedenne's help?" Bonnie repeated as Dedenne came out of her small, yellow bag.

The Lumiose Gym Leader nodded and explained. "When we first met Dedenne, it was utilizing electrical energy to communicate!" Clemont explained, recalling of the day, he, Ash, and Bonnie met the Electric Type.

"Yeah... You're right! Dedenne! It'd be great if you could pick up on Pikachu's electricity!" Bonnie requested. Dedenne replied with a nod as Serena grew amazed. "Wow! Dedenne can really do that?" Serena asked.

Before Bonnie could answer, Yuki glared at the two, interrupting the amazement. "No time for to be amazed, Serena! Dedenne, we need you to do your thing to find Pikachu's electricity!" Yuki interrupted.

"We're counting on you, Dedenne!" Ash called. The little one nodded as he scurried out of Bonnie's bag, sniffing around as he began to search, trying to get Pikachu's electricity towards him.

**Meanwhile...**

**Pokémon POV**

Somewhere in the forest, there was a small lake, where Froakie was floating on. The Bubble Frog Pokémon looked around as he swum out of the lake. He looked to see if anyone was besides him.

As he was looking, there was a rustle on the bushes. Froakie glared to where it was. "Who's there?" Froakie demanded. He put his hood of frubbles on, preparing for a battle, until someone familiar came out.

It was Pikachu! The Electric Type noticed the Water Type with his hood on. "Froakie! There you are!" Pikachu called out. Froakie sweat dropped, knowing that it was just a friend as he shook his hood away.

"Froakie, I need your help with something right now!" Pikachu called, tugging on the Water Type. "Hold on. I'm coming." Froakie assured. The two ran towards where Pikachu needed help on.

As they got there, the Bubble Frog Pokémon saw a pair of legs on the hole of the ground."Here he is." Pikachu replied. He sweat dropped, knowing that it was Chespin who was stuck on the hole.

"Hey! Let me out of there!" Chespin wailed, his voice muffled for being underground. Froakie shrugged as he turned to the Electric Type. "Should we help with this mess?" Froakie asked.

"Yeah... When I say three, pull!" Pikachu replied. Froakie nodded as the two of them held onto Chespin's legs. But, as the Water Type held one of the legs, Chespin accidentally kicked him!

The two frowned as they struggled with his flailing legs before grabbing onto one. "Ugh... Just hold still, Chespin!" Pikachu called. The two then began to pull hard as they can.

With every effort they used, Chespin was finally out of the hole, as the Grass Type got up, smiling at the two. Both Pikachu and Froakie got up, as the Electric Type explained the matter.

"Alright! Now, all we need to find is both Hawlucha and Fennekin! Then, we can find our trainers and friends!" Pikachu pointed out. "Right!" Froakie and Chespin agreed.

Just as they were about to move, however, they all heard a wailing voice. They all looked up to see Meowth! He was hanging from a tree branch, possibly from falling of the explosion.

"Meowth!?" Pikachu yelped in surprise. "Pikachu, be a pal and let me down!" Meowth called. The Electric Type sighed, annoyed with the Normal Type. "And why should I help you?" Pikachu snapped.

"Come on! We're both Pokémon, right!?" Meowth called. That caused the Electric Type to hesitate with his thoughts as Froakie stepped in. "Don't do it, Pikachu. He might just use us!" Froakie reminded.

But, Chespin seemed naive enough to trust the fellow Pokémon. "Come on! He's a Pokémon like us, right?" Chespin asked. Pikachu hesitated even more, as he saw Meowth's eyes sparkling.

The Electric Type sighed, before making a nod. "Ugh... Fine..." Pikachu groaned, as he felt that he was going to regret this. "Yeah! Sounds like okay to me!" Meowth chuckled.

Ash's partner turned to the Spiny Nut Pokémon. "Chespin! Do your thing!" Pikachu called. "Roger!" Chespin replied. He shot Pin Missile, that exploded behind Meowth, causing him to fall.

Meowth screamed, before falling on the ground on his face, being stuck underground, just like with Chespin. "Well... It's his funeral..." Froakie muttered, shrugging his shoulders again.

Later, Meowth was out of the hole, as he smiled at the three. "Thanks, all you lugs! What do you say we call it a truce, pal?" Meowth asked. Pikachu fake smiled as he showed his paw.

Meowth took it and shook it up and down. "I'd knew that you call it, because that's just how you are, pal!" Meowth called happily, causing the Electric Type to shoot Thunderbolt!

Meowth shrieked in pain, falling to the ground, as he quickly recovered from the shock. "HEY! What was that for!? I was paying you a compliment!" Meowth snapped angrily.

Pikachu rubbed his head with a sheepish look. "S-Sorry." Pikachu apologized. "Well... Just as long as you understand!" Meowth chuckled, forgiving the Electric Type with a smile.

Froakie wasn't so convinced of trusting the Normal Type as he frowned at both Pikachu and Chespin. "Are you sure about this?" Froakie asked, unsure. "Of course I'm sure!" Pikachu replied.

"He looks to be trusted, making a truce and all!" Chespin agreed with a smile. "But... even so..." Froakie started, until the Electric Type put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry! It'll go once!" Pikachu assured.

Froakie was still hesitant, as Meowth sighed happily. "Pikachu! I'm so glad that you and Chespin chose to trust me!" Meowth replied happily. Froakie took a glance at Meowth, still unsure about this.

And so, Team Rocket attempted to steal the group's Pokémon, only for them to fail somehow. And now, the group searches for them, using Dedenne in order to find Pikachu first.

What will be found first? Who will make the search successful? Stay tuned for some more!

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Double Team)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Tackle, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 16: Pangoro To Leaf In!**

**Chapter 17: A Bug to Smuggle!**

**Chapter 18: Vivillon to Glide!**

**Chapter 19: The Kindergarten Exhibition!**

**Chapter 20: A Courage to Befriend!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Yuki: So, Pangoro needs a bamboo leaf in order to keep going?

Clemont: I think there should be one over there!

Bonnie: Huh!? Hey! Meowth! How could you do this to Pangoro and Pancham!

Meowth: Sorry, twerps! But, our truce is over now!

Jessie: And you twerps are all toast! Pumpkaboo, let's go!

Ash: Looks like I'm gonna have to outrun them once and for all!


	16. Pangoro To Leaf In!

**Chapter 16: Pangoro To Leaf In!**

Last time on "Pokémon Kalos Journey", the group was having lunch together in some kind of bamboolized forest. As they were eating however, they met up with two mischievous Panchams.

As their mischiefs caused them to eat the group's food, the four trainers and Bonnie found that their Pokémon; Hawlucha, Pikachu, Froakie, Chespin, and Fennekin were stolen by Team Rocket!

They lost the evil trio when the balloon exploded, separating all the Pokémon into the deep forest. Froakie managed to find both Pikachu and Chespin, as they reluctantly teamed up with Meowth.

Now, the four Pokémon need to find Fennekin and Hawlucha, but what kind of results will show for them as they tried to get out of this forest separation mayhem?

**Pokémon POV**

Somewhere in the bamboo forest, Hawlucha was not in a happy mood. First, he was blasted by the balloon's explosion and was separated from the others, because of the stupid Team Rocket...

And now, he is all tangled in the vines. His legs were tied up by the knot of the vines, and his arms were hanging onto the vines, with a vine wrapped around his waist, much to his embarrassment.

"How much worse can this get? I'm all tied up, and not even my moves can get me out of this..." Hawlucha groaned, struggling with the vines, but it did no good.

"H-Hawlucha?" A girl's voice called out. Hawlucha looked down to see a familiar fox looking Pokémon. It was Serena's Fennekin! She looked fine, but her tail was in a complete mess.

"Well, if it isn't Fennekin!" Hawluucha chuckled. Fennekin blushed, after seeing how brave and strong Hawlucha were. It was almost, as if she was having a crush on the Wrestling Pokémon.

"Um... Do you need any help?" Fennekin asked, feeling nervous. Hawlucha sweat dropped, not wanting to admit it, but he gave a deep sigh.

"I suppose I do... I'm all tangled up here." Hawlucha grumbled, showing to the Fire Type that he was tangled. Fennekin stifled a giggle a little, seeing that Yuki's partner was captured by vines.

"Could you use your Ember to get me out of here?" Hawlucha asked. "Oh! O-Okay..." Fennekin replied with a quick nod. She shot an Ember attack, burning up most of the vines, freeing Hawlucha.

The Wrestling Pokémon landed on the ground, disgusted that his fur was completely filthy by the explosion he took, and how many vine leaves was on him. Fennekin blushed, giggling a little.

Unfortunately, the Fighting Type noticed as he sweat dropped. "Funny, huh?" Hawlucha mumbled. He walked off, hearing a river stream. "O-Oh! Wait for me, Hawlucha!" Fennekin called.

The two of them sat nearby a river as Hawlucha took a dip, washing the filth off of his fur. Fennekin peered down, seeing if her looks was great or not. To her dismay, her tail was mangled up.

"Eeek! Oh no... My beautiful tail... It's completely ruined!" Fennekin groaned, as she tried to lick it back to where it originally was before. Hawlucha shook, shaking the water off of him.

He got out of the river, with all the grim gone. "Fennekin! Hawlucha!" Pikachu called. The two turned, seeing Pikachu, Froakie, and Chespin running to them.

But, to their surprise, even Meowth is coming along with the three. Afraid that the others might make fun of her because of her dirty tail, Fennekin hesitantly hid behind Hawlucha.

"Great! You two look okay!" Froakie croaked with a smile. "That's great!" Chespin replied. Hawlucha glared at Meowth, pointing at him. "What is that buffoon doing here?" Hawlucha asked coldly.

"Yeah! Why is he with you guys!? He's a bad guy!" Fennekin yipped. "He just made a truce with us! It's okay to trust him now!" Pikachu assured. "I can see why you and Chespin are so naive." Hawlucha grumbled.

Meowth laughed nervously, before trying to go along with Pikachu's story. "Dig! From now on, we're best friends!" Meowth assured. "Yeah! We're best friends now!" Chespin agreed.

Fennekin hesitated, before smiling a little. "I guess that's okay..." Fennekin replied. Hawlucha crossed his arms with a shook of his head. "I see no reason to trust that furball at all." Hawlucha stated.

"FURBALL!? Enough name calling, will ya!?" Meowth snapped, flailing. The five Pokémon sweat dropped as Pikachu laughed nervously. Fennekin then looked at her tail sadly.

"Although... I do want my tail to be clean... It must've been dirty during the explosion... And I just want to get it clean..." Fennekin sighed sadly. The others noticed it as well.

"Oh my..." Pikachu replied in shock. "Your little fluffy tail is all dirty! And you want to clean it?" Meowth asked. "That's what I'm saying..." Fennekin sighed, nodding sadly.

"You really want to look good now, don't you?" Meowth teased. A lightbulb then came to Froakie's mind as he took two frubbles from his frubble neck. "In that case, how about you use my frubbles?" Froakie suggested.

Froakie then began to mix the frubbles on Fennekin's tail, much to her startle. As moments passed, Fennekin's tail was shining, all clean and smooth again.

The Fire Type smiled brightly, happy that her tail was all clean again. "Oh wow! My tail is finally clean now!" Fennekin squealed happily. Pikachu and Hawlucha were amazed by this as well.

"Oh... So, you can use your frubbles for making all things neat and tidy!" Meowth chuckled. "Thank you, Froakie." Fennekin thanked, causing the Bubble Frog Pokémon to blush a little.

**End POV**

**Meanwhile...**

Back to Yuki and the others, they all looked and stopped, seeing Dedenne's cheeks sparkling. "Look at Dedenne!" Bonnie cried. The group of five ran to it as Ash grew curious and serious.

"Did you find Pikachu?" Ash asked. Yuki bit his lips, knowing that if they found Pikachu, they could easily find Hawlucha as well, if the Electric Type managed to find his best friend.

Dedenne looked around, sensing the electricity from Pikachu's power. Dedenne then ran to where it was sensing the electricity.

**Back to Pikachu and the others...**

**Pokémon POV**

Pikachu blinked, sensing some electricity power coming to this way. "Mm! What a great twig!" Fennekin yipped happily. Everyone turned to see Fennekin chewing on a tree twig.

All the Pokémon looked to see Fennekin eating a twig for a snack. Hawlucha chuckled, knowing that her kind eats twigs as a snack when they're hungry, as he took a twig, and started chewing.

"It's a twig! That really tastes good!?" Meowth asked, surprised. "It's delicious to me!" Fennekin giggled, as she kept chewing on a twig. Hawlucha chewed on his twig, then spit it out.

It seemed that the twig didn't taste good for someone like him. "Let me try!" Chespin replied, taking another twig. He took the twig, and started chewing on it, then spit it out.

The Spiny Nut Pokémon looked at it in disgust. "Ugh! It tastes awful! Yuck!" Chespin retorted, throwing the bitten stick away. The stick rebounded, hitting somewhere that wasn't a good spot to hit.

There was a roar as everyone turned to see who it was. It was a Pokémon that looked like the Panchams, but it looked bigger and stronger. It glared at the six Pokémon as he ran to them.

"Cranky pants!" Meowth screeched as he ran off. Pikachu, Fennekin, and Froakie followed along. Hawlucha smirked, getting ready for battle. "Finally! Time to start my warm up!" Hawlucha smirked.

"I'll get you for this, you little squirts!" Pangoro bellowed, reaching to strike Hawlucha, who dodged easily. "Ahhhh!" Chespin screamed in panic as he shot Pin Missile at the angry one.

The Pin Missile exploded on Pangoro as he got more angry. "Pangoro?" "Are you okay?" The two Panchams asked. Meowth noticed that the two Panchams were with the big one.

"It looks like... they're pals!" Meowth exclaimed. "Why you little...!" Pangoro yelled as he began to use Focus Punch on the Grass Type and the Fighting Type.

Hawlucha got ready as Chespin panicked, hiding behind the Wrestling Pokémon. Suddenly, just as the angry Pokémon began to attack, it suddenly stopped as it slumped down.

"Wha... What's wrong with me? I feel so weak..." Pangoro groaned, sitting down in a depressed state. "Pangoro!" The two Panchams called together in worry.

All the six Pokémon grew confused as the two twins yelled at the six. "What did you do, you creeps!?" "This is all your fault, you little Grass Type!" The two snapped at the six.

"Pikachu!" "Hawlucha!" Ash and Yuki called out.

**End POV**

All the Pokémon turned to see the group running towards them. "Pika Pi!" "Lucha!" Pikachu and Hawlucha exclaimed, running to their trainers. Yuki and Hawlucha hugged each other.

Both of them were relieved that each of them were okay. "You're okay! That's such a relief!" Yuki replied, setting the Fighting Type down on the ground. "Haw Lucha Haw!" Hawlucha agreed with a grin.

"Pikachu! You're okay!" Ash exclaimed as the Electric Type happily jumped into his arms. Even Froakie, Chespin, and Fennekin got along with the reunion. "Sorry it took so long." Serena apologized.

"Chespin! You okay?" Clemont asked. "Ches!" "Fen!" Chespin and Fennekin said together, each talking to their trainers happily. Meowth made a fake smile, seeing that the reunion was made. "Wow! Isn't this grand?" Meowth chuckled.

The four trainers and Bonnie were shocked to see a member of Team Rocket that was with their Pokémon. "Meowth!?" Ash snapped in surprise. "What are you doing here with our Pokémon!?" Yuki demanded.

"The Pancham, too!" Clemont added. Meowth waved his paws in reassurance. "Now, don't get all bent out of shape! The problem is with this lug!" Meowth pointed out, showing the weak Pangoro.

Yuki narrowed his eyes as he took out his Pokédex. _"Pangoro, the Daunting Pokémon and the evolved form of Pancham. Pangoro has an ornery personality. It holds a bamboo sprig in its mouth, which allows Pangoro to detect surrounding movements."_ Yuki's Pokédex buzzed.

"Hold on... It looks different again!" Serena pointed out, getting even more confused. "I think it's Chespin's fault! You see, Chespin has broke Pangoro's leaf sprig!" Meowth explained.

"So, that's why it got so down..." Ash replied, feeling sorry for it. "Chespin got spooked down and accidentally hit Pangoro with a Pin Missile!" Meowth explained.

Clemont frowned as he walked up to the Daunting Pokémon. "I'm so sorry! I feel so awful about this..." Clemont apologized. "Ches..." Chespin also apologized. The Panchams didn't accept it, though.

"These pounding Panchams are fit to be tied! They're saying that they need to get their paws on a new bamboo sprig, so that their leader can get back up into speed!" Meowth explained.

Ash looked around, seeing the leaves on the bamboos. "But, aren't there bamboo sprigs all around us?" Ash asked. The two Panchams yelled at the Kanto trainer angrily at that remark.

"They're saying that it has to be special bamboos that grow on the certain rock up ahead!" Meowth explained. Clemont then made up a thought about the Daunting Pokémon.

"It is true that all Pangoro have different kinds of their favorite bamboo sprigs..." Clemont stated. He then looked at the one that was down.

"And it's also true that they'll keep searching for that kind of bamboo until they find it!" Clemont added. The two twins nodded as Clemont made a decision. "I'll go look for one!" Clemont declared.

He looked at his Grass Type with a sheepish smile. "Since I'm Chespin's trainer. It's my responsibility! Come on, Chespin! We've got to find a bamboo sprig!" Clemont reminded.

"I'll help!" Ash volunteered. "Hawlucha and I would like to help, too!" "Lucha!" Yuki and Hawlucha declared. "We've got to help them!" Bonnie replied, feeling sorry for the Pangoro.

"The sooner, the better! Let's go!" Serena called. She turned to one of the Panchams for some assistance. "Pancham, will you show us the way?" Serena asked. One of them nodded.

The other made his decision as Meowth made his choice. "I'll keep it covered here! I'm worried about Pangoro!" Meowth decided. Both Yuki and Serena narrowed their eyes at that.

Even Hawlucha and Fennekin didn't seem to believe that. "What? You worried?" Serena muttered. "Why should we believe something that's coming from you?" Yuki asked.

"Hawlucha!" "Fennekin!" The two Pokémon agreed, thinking that the member of Team Rocket was lying. "HEY! I have a heart!" Meowth retorted, complaining.

So, everyone finally agreed with this choice as one of the Pancham took the lead. The four trainer and Bonnie with their Pokémon ran after it, hoping to find the bamboo sprig.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault that you're dealing with this..." Clemont apologized. They were crossing the river as Ash smiled at the apologizing. "Come on! We're just helping others out, like always!" Ash assured.

Yuki bit his lips, wondering of what Meowth is doing. "I just hope that Meowth doesn't try anything funny after when we come back." Yuki muttered. "Lucha..." Hawlucha agreed, getting what his trainer meant.

Bonnie turned to the Hawlucha Boy in question. "How much trouble can Meowth get on its own?" Bonnie asked. "Plenty of trouble, in my opinion." Yuki answered as they all kept running.

Later, they soon made it to their destination as Pancham pointed to where a lonely bamboo tree were. It was on top of a thin cliff, although it was a bit high. "Ah! All the way up there!?" Ash gasped.

"Why would Pangoro choose to get its bamboo sprig from way up there?" Serena asked. "Must be quite the finicky type!" Clemont guessed as he made the thought of the Pangoro that was down.

"So... How do we get it?" Bonnie asked. Ash already made his decision as he ran up. "I'll go!" Ash called as he ran up to the cliff wall. "Wait! It's too dangerous!" Clemont warned.

Ash smiled back with reassurance. "Don't worry about it!" Ash replied. He began to climb up, only to slid back down on the ground, much to his disappointment.

"That's not gonna work..." Bonnie muttered. "Pika Pi!" Pikachu called to the Kanto trainer, trying to get him to reconsider his decision. Yuki gave a sigh as he walked to the cliff.

"Let me and Hawlucha show you how it's done." Yuki grunted as he and his partner began to climb up. Everyone was amazed by the Hawlucha Boy's stamina and Hawlucha's as well.

"You can do it, Yuki!" "Dedenne!" Bonnie and Dedenne cried. Both the Fighting duo were halfway up when Yuki looked as if he was about to fall! Everyone gasped at that, with Hawlucha startled.

The Hawlucha Boy managed to hang on as he glared at the girl. "I won't be able to do it, if you keep distracting me!" Yuki scolded as he grunted, trying to keep climbing up.

As the duo kept climbing up, Ash looked with determination for Yuki to make success. Serena, Bonnie, and Fennekin grew worried for the two. Clemont and Chespin started to sweat a little.

The Pancham just watched as the two finally made it to the top. Hawlucha took one of the bamboo sprigs, with Yuki's support as he showed it to everyone. "We got it!" Yuki called out.

Everyone cheered for the success as the two landed on the ground with a high jump from the top of the cliff. Hawlucha handed the sprig to the Pancham, who took it happily.

Now, Pangoro will be able to get to its feet soon, with a new fighting spirit!

Later, everyone headed back to the spot where Meowth and the Pancham were guarding the weakened Pangoro. But, they ended up getting a big surprise. It was Team Rocket!

Both Pancham and Pangoro were tied up with Meowth giving an evil smirk. "Team Rocket!?" Ash snapped. "Meowth, I should've known you would do something like this!" Yuki snapped angrily.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! You dumb twerps! It's a family reunion with the Team Rocket clan!" Meowth cackled. "We thought we'd wait, and wish you welcome!" Jessie smirked with a chuckle.

Yuki felt something painful in his heart as he chose to ignore it. "Why you..." Yuki grunted, gritting his teeth. "You let Pangoro and Pancham go right now!" Ash demanded.

"You tell them, you two!" Serena called out. "Oh? Doth you get a big fever?" James taunted. Meowth smirked at both Pikachu and Hawlucha with an evil look.

"Okay, Pikachu! Hawlucha! Come with us if you know what's good for ya! It'd be a drag to see the two as a scratching post!" Meowth threatened the two.

"You WHAT!?" Ash snapped angrily. "Lucha Haw!" "Pika!" The two yelled back. "You cowards! Pangoro can't even move!" Serena snapped. But, the only response she got was a taunt.

"Aren't we smart?" James taunted. Jessie sneered as she took out a Pokéball. "Say, take a look at my catch of the day! Now, Team Rocket is stronger than ever!" Jessie called as she summoned her new Pokémon.

A Pokémon that looked like a pumpkin ghost appeared, with Meowth smirking. "Cool! Where did you get that?" Meowth exclaimed. "So, those morons have caught a new Pokémon, huh?" Yuki asked.

Ash took out his Pokédex, scanning the new Pokémon. _"Pumpkaboo, the Pumpkin Pokémon. Pumpkaboo's eyes can glow, which lights the way for travelers. They often sleep in the ground."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

"Alright, Pumpkaboo! Use Leech Seed!" Jessie shouted. The Pumpkin Pokémon shot several seeds in front of Pikachu, Chespin, Hawlucha, Fennekin, Froakie, Pancham, and Bunnelby.

Suddenly, roots appeared, squeezing all the captured Pokémon as it began to drain their energy. "Pikachu!" "Hawlucha!" Ash and Yuki gasped as they tried to untie their starters.

"You see? Leech Seed has the power to siphon off your power!" Jessie giggled. "Now, really put the squeeze on them!" James smirked. "Ash, what are we going to do?" Serena asked, worried.

Before the Kanto trainer could answer, Yuki got up, narrowing his eyes. The hurt in his heart began to ache even more, before he resisted it again.

"I have one thing in mind. Giving this sprig to Pangoro!" Yuki yelled. Ash got up, getting with the idea. "I'm with you, Yuki!" Ash agreed. Yuki held the sprig as Ash presented it.

"Look at this, Pangoro! We got the bamboo sprig that you like!" Ash called. Pangoro rose his head up to see the sprig. With that, the two boys yelled as they ran towards the evil trio.

"What are those two twerps doing?" Jessie asked. "Inkay, use Psybeam, let's go!" James called. Both Pikachu and Hawlucha widened their eyes. "PIKA PIKA!" "LUCHA!" Pikachu and Hawlucha yelled.

Fennekin, Chespin, Froakie, and Bunnelby called to the two boys as well. Inkay began to shoot the Psychic Type, but at the same time, Pikachu shot a Thunderbolt!

Hawlucha then began to focus on a move. In his hands, a glowing ball of light began to charge with Hawlucha focusing on the power. He then completed the focus as he shot the new move with Thunderbolt.

The two moves collided with Psybeam, creating an explosion. Despite of the blow, both boys were able to keep on moving. "Pumpkaboo! Use Shadow Ball!" Jessie called.

Pumpkaboo shot the Ghost Type move, as Froakie and Bunnelby countered with Water Pulse and Mud Shot! The three moves exploded as both Ash and Yuki kept on running.

Team Rocket gasped as Fennekin and Chespin shot their attacks with Ember and Pin Missile. "Wobbuffet, go!" Jessie called. Wobbuffet stood in front, using Mirror Coat to deflect the attacks.

But, the attacks didn't hit the Psychic Type as it exploded on the ground in front of him! It created a smoke, causing the evil trio to cough and try to see of what was going on.

"Here goes!" Ash yelled. Both Yuki and Ash dove, as the Hawlucha Boy put the bamboo sprig on Pangoro's mouth as the two landed on the ground. "Urgh... Did that do it!?" Yuki asked.

To his answer, Pangoro opened his eyes, like he gained some new strength! He used Focus Punch, punching the evil trio into the air. Team Rocket screamed as they were sent flying to the air.

"WE'RE BLASTING OFF..." Meowth started. "AGAIN!" James finished as the evil trio went out of sight. When they were gone, the Leech Seed had wore off as the six Pokémon were free!

"Way to go, Ash! Yuki!" Clemont exclaimed. Pikachu and Hawlucha grinned as the two hugged their trainers as the two boys hugged them back. "You okay, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked.

"Lucha!" Hawlucha replied with a smile and nod. "Pangoro is so strong!" Clemont complimented. "The power of that bamboo is awesome!" Serena exclaimed as everyone walked up to it.

Ash turned to the Hawlucha Boy with a curious feeling. "Yuki, what was that move that Hawlucha used while we were running?" Ash asked. Yuki blinked in surprise as he turned to his Fighting partner.

Hawlucha flushed as he turned away in embarrassment as he was being complimented for using a new move. "That was Focus Blast! With great focus, the move becomes powerful!" Clemont answered.

"So, you learned Focus Blast after seeing we were in danger?" Yuki asked, feeling proud of his Pokémon. Hawlucha nodded with a grin, as the group turned to the Daunting Pokémon.

"Thanks a lot for getting us out of that mess, Pangoro." Ash thanked. "We know we caused a lot of trouble for you... Sorry..." Clemont apologized as he, Bunnelby, and Chespin bowed down, apologizing.

Pangoro smirked and shook his head, assuring that it was alright. The two Panchams cheered, running to the group, amazed with the combined power they had.

The four trainers and Bonnie laughed along with their Pokémon as the afternoon turned to sunset.

The four trainers and Bonnie were soon ready to continue their route to Cyllage City. "See ya later!" "Pikachu!" Ash and Pikachu called out. "Best wishes to the three of you!" "Lucha!" Yuki and Hawlucha called.

Pangoro and his two Panchams waved back as the trio headed back to the bamboo forest for some peace and quiet. As they were gone, Ash gasped, remembering something.

"Ah! We never finished lunch! We totally forgot about eating!" Ash yelped. "Pika..." Pikachu sighed, feeling hungry all of a sudden. "Now that you mention it, my tummy feels a bit rumbly..." Serena muttered.

With that statement, there were several stomach growlings, except Hawlucha, who sweat dropped, as he comforted Yuki with a pat. The four trainers and Bonnie groaned, feeling hungry all of a sudden.

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 17: A Bug to Smuggle!**

**Chapter 18: Vivillon to Glide!**

**Chapter 19: The Kindergarten Exhibition!**

**Chapter 20: A Courage to Befriend!**

**Chapter 21: A Mansion to Moan Over!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Serena: Look! Looks like Officer Jenny is chasing someone!

Yuki: Ugh... Pathetic poachers... They just never learn when to quit with their ugly things

Clemont: What, are you saying you hate poachers, Yuki?

Ash: That Scatterbug looks like it managed to escape its cage!

Officer Jenny: I'm after a Pokémon Smuggler, who calls himself Dolan, with his Diggersby.

Yuki: If it's a poacher or a smuggler that you're after, I'm sure that we can help you out with that, Officer Jenny


	17. A Bug to Smuggle!

**Chapter 17: A Bug to Smuggle!**

The four trainers and Bonnie were walking along the pathway to the nearest Pokémon Center, as they were continuing their way to Cyllage City for Ash and Yuki's second Kalos Gym battle.

They were walking when suddenly, Yuki stopped. "Do you guys hear that?" Yuki asked. "Lucha..." Hawlucha agreed, narrowing his eyes. Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie grew confused as Ash seemed to hear it as well.

"Wonder what that noise is?" Ash asked. "Pika?" Pikachu asked along as the two boys looked around. "What noise?" Serena asked. The others looked ahead to see what the two boys meant.

There was nothing as the Lumiose Gym Leader grew confused as well. "I didn't hear anything!" Clemont stated. Bonnie nodded along with Dedenne, as they kept looking and listening.

"Maybe the two of you just imagined it?" Serena asked. "No... I'm sure we heard something..." Ash assured. Just then, there was a rumbling sound, coming from Ash's stomach!

The Kanto trainer blinked as he looked down at his tummy. That got the attention of others as well. "Was that...?" Clemont asked, sweat dropping. "Both you and Pikachu's tummy is rumbling!" Bonnie giggled.

The Fighting duo sweat dropped, knowing that it wasn't really of what they heard from before. Ash and Pikachu blushed as Hawlucha tugged on Yuki's wrist. "Lucha Haw." Hawlucha reminded.

"You hear something?" Yuki asked. "Lucha." Hawlucha nodded, pointing to the route up ahead. Serena seemed to hear it, too as she looked ahead. "I hear something now..." Serena stated.

The others perked their heads up to hear the noise as well. They all took a step closer, before seeing of what was coming. It looked like a jeep with a maniac person on it with a big Pokémon.

The man had tiny eyes, big nose, a mustache, and an ugly looking face as he swerved, trying to get away for some reason. Everyone yelped in surprise as they all got out of the way.

As the man drove past, as Ash frowned. "That was close..." Ash stated. "What is that guy's problem?" Serena asked. Yuki narrowed his eyes, face palming. "Poachers. Idiots..." Yuki groaned, feeling angry at this.

"Hawlucha!" Hawlucha snapped angrily. "You seem to know a lot about poachers. Did you see one?" Clemont asked. Before the Hawlucha Boy could answer, there was another sound coming by.

As the group turned, this time, it was Officer Jenny on her motorcycle, with Manectric on the sidecar. "Out of the way!" Officer Jenny yelled. As she drove by, Serena frowned.

"If Officer Jenny is after that guy..." Serena started. "Then, he must be a wanted criminal!" Clemont exclaimed. Yuki gritted his teeth, running after the two chasers.

"Yuki!? Where are you going!?" Serena called. "I'm going to see of what's going on!" Yuki answered as he and Hawlucha ran for them. "Let's go and find out then!" Ash called to the others.

Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie nodded as they ran with the two boys to see of what crisis is going on.

**[Pokémon: XY Volt Opening (English Subbed)]**

(Pikachu was shown kissing the screen until he ran with Ash, Yuki, and Hawlucha)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying,**_

(A scene showed a route crossroad, with Meowstic and a group of Swirlix floating by)

_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark, **_

(A grassfield where Vivillon, and Swanna groups are flying at a nearby town)

(Underwater where Water Type were swimming underwater)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were seeing a town from a bridge view)

_**Ice, Normal, Fighting, Fire,**_

(A flower field shows; a group of macarons show; a rainy night shows)

_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy,**_

(The group runs along the route in the city)

_**Come on, from here on out it's an adventure and there's only light ahead**_

(Ash's blue background show him and Pikachu sharing sandwiches together)

_**The sky overflows with a rain of tears but we push through**_

(Serena's pink background show her picking a hat, while Fennekin happily runs around her)

_**Come on, use your courage to be better than you were yesterday**_

(Clemont's blue and yellow background show him inventing a machine before it explodes, while Bonnie runs with Dedenne and Chespin)

_**Treasure any encounter  
****  
Heart's pounding, Challenger!**_

(Yuki's green background shows him and Hawlucha sparring with each other, while Litleo, Heracross, and Bulbasaur cheers)

_**Someday, my dream will be fulfilled **_

(Ash, Yuki, Hawlucha, and Pikachu were running only to be blocked by a huge cliff)

(Silhouettes of Gym Leader shine in front of the two)

_**That's what you have taught me, and that's why I travel**_

(Serena place a hand on Ash's left shoulder, Clemont places a hand on Yuki's right shoulder, Bonnie grabs the two's hands together)

(The group runs to the field on their journey)

_**As the red ring of bonds spreads far and wide**_

I'll definitely reach out to everyone with this energy I suddenly feel

(Ash and Yuki make attack calls; Pikachu and Hawlucha fights and defeat the trainers' Honedge and Pangoro)

_**This blue planet of ours is shining with hope**_

(Clemont calls for attacks; Chespin uses Pin Missile, and Bunnelby uses Dig)

(Bonnie cheers, as Dedenne uses Thundershock)

(Serena calls for an attack; Fennekin uses Ember)

(Yuki calls for attacks; Bulbasaur uses Razor Leaf, Litleo uses Ember, Heracross uses Megahorn, and Hawlucha uses Karate Chop)

_**The yellow flowers bloom**_

(Ash calls for attacks: Froakie uses Water Pulse, Fletchling uses Steel Wing, as Pikachu uses Electro Ball)

(A Mega Evolution sign appears; Mega Lucario roars, sending huge power)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying**_  
_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark**_  
_**Ice, Normal, Fire, Fighting**_  
_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy**_

(Xerneas and Yvetal appears; The Japanese opening title appears)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie smile at the viewers with their Pokémon)

**(Title opening ends)**

Yuki, Ash, Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie were running after the poacher and Officer Jenny to assist her with the police chase. As they ran, they saw of what had just happened.

The poacher had called his big Pokémon to attack, as the big one suddenly shot Mud Shot, trying to get rid of the officer and Manectric, but ended up hitting a tree instead, causing it to fall in front of the officer.

As the poacher was escaping, one of his merchandise fell out of his jeep, much to his shock. He tried to get it back, but couldn't since the officer was chasing him down, causing him to forget about it.

The four trainers and Bonnie ran down the slope where they saw a cage falling out. Clemont seemed to have a hard time keeping up the pace. "Huff... I can't run much any longer!" Clemont panted.

"Clemont! Get a grip!" "Dedenne!" Bonnie and Dedenne scolded the Gym Leader. "Are you alright?" Serena asked. "Clemont? How are you doing?" Ash asked.

"Fine, I guess..." Clemont panted as he got up. Just then, Yuki called to the others. "Hey, take a look at this!" Yuki called. Everyone turned to see that Yuki was carrying something.

It seemed to be a Bug Type Pokémon, as it cuddled up to the Hawlucha Boy. Ash, curious, took out his Pokédex, scanning the Bug Type. "Never seen that Pokémon before!" Ash admitted.

_"Scatterbug, the Scatterdust Pokémon. When attacked by another Pokémon, Scatterbug scatters the black powder that covers its body and regulates its body temperature."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

The Scatterbug glared at where Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie was as it hissed at them, but it didn't scatters the black powder since Yuki was holding it.

"It sounds like it's trying to scare us off!" Clemont guessed. Ash walked up to it and smiled. "You don't have to worry about us hurting you, Scatterbug! We're your friends!" Ash assured.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Scatterbug took a look at Yuki, who nodded. "It's true. We're all friends together." Yuki replied. "Hawlucha!" Hawlucha agreed with a smile.

Just then, Scatterbug fell unconscious in the Hawlucha Boy's arms as the the five gasped. "Scatterbug!" Ash gasped, taking the Bug Type from Yuki's arms as the Hawlucha Boy frowned.

"Serena, where's the nearest Pokémon Center from here?" Yuki asked. "Hold on... It's that way... Come on!" Serena called. She ran with the others following her. "Okay, let's go!" Ash called.

Later, the group were in the Pokémon Center, where Wigglytuff took the little Bug Type for some medical help. "Nurse Joy! Please help Scatterbug!" Ash pleaded. The nurse smiled and nodded.

"Sure! Take care of it, Wigglytuff!" Nurse Joy called. "Wigglytuff!" Wigglytuff nodded as it took the Bug Type to the emergency room. Nurse Joy walked up to the group with an assuring smile.

"Now, don't worry about a thing!" Nurse Joy assured. "Thanks for the help..." Yuki thanked. "Hawlucha." Hawlucha replied with a nod. Nurse Joy smiled and made an explanation.

"It looks like your Scatterbug doesn't come from this area!" Nurse Joy stated. The five grew surprised at that. "You can tell by just looking?" Ash asked. The nurse nodded with a smile.

"Yes! Take a look up at the screen!" Nurse Joy replied. Everyone looked up to see a familiar group of Pokémon with different wing designs. "Wow... Vivillon!" Ash exclaimed.

"But, they all look different!" Serena stated. "Vivillon have many different patterns, depending on where they come from! And there are many more patterns like that!" Nurse Joy explained.

"Awesome!" Bonnie exclaimed. "Wow... More than just six patterns, huh? Viola has a Vivillon with a different pattern as well." Yuki stated, remembering the Gym Leader's Vivillon that had a different pattern.

The nurse smiled with a nod. "In a similar way, Scatterbug has some different appearances as well!" Nurse Joy explained. Ash grew amazed as Nurse Joy grew serious by asking a question.

"I'd be very interested to know of where you found that Scatterbug." Nurse Joy replied. "The truth is..." Yuki started as he started to explain. Ash tried to join in when there was a demanding yell.

"I've got you two now!" Officer Jenny called. There was a large rope as it caught Yuki's right wrist, and Ash's left wrist together! The two boys yelped as they were pulled by the officer.

"Now, don't move or you two will already be in a lot of trouble than you already are!" Officer Jenny threatened. Manectric growled, getting ready to strike.

"Move!? You've already got us tied up!" Ash snapped. Officer Jenny pulled harder, glaring at the two. "Believe me, I know who the two of you are! If you have the stolen Scatterbug, then you must work for Dolan, the Pokémon Smuggler!" Officer Jenny snapped.

The word Smuggler left Yuki's face darkened. "Smuggler, huh? You must be that pathetic to make a ridiculous story like that, officer! Hawlucha!" Yuki called. Hawlucha nodded and got ready.

"I said, don't move!" Officer Jenny snapped. Manectric aimed a Spark attack, but the Wrestling Pokémon dodged, slamming Karate Chop on the head, causing Manectric to slide on the floor.

"Yuki!? What are you doing!?" Serena gasped. "You're attacking an officer!" Clemont yelped. "When people think of me as a thief or a smuggler, this is where I lose my mind!" Yuki snapped.

Hawlucha used a weak Karate Chop, snapping the rope in half, much to the officer's shock. Yuki then glared at Officer Jenny angrily with disgust as he clenched his fist, making an explanation.

"The whole idea, thinking that we're an accomplice to that moron... Only a fool would say such a thing!" Yuki snapped. "Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha growled, glaring at the surprised officer.

As the two boys got the rope out of their wrist, Ash made his explanation. "When we were chasing after you, there was a big cage, and Scatterbug crawled out of there!" Ash explained.

The shocked officer blinked in surprise as she let go of her broken rope. "Then, that means..." Officer Jenny started, knowing of what the results were.

Nurse Joy, also startled with a little fight explained. "Somehow, the Pokémon Smuggler must've dropped the cage." Nurse Joy concluded. The officer widened her eyes as she ran up to the two boys.

"Ah! I'm so sorry, you two! I'm always jumping into conclusions... And I mess things up..." Officer Jenny apologized, feeling dumb for a while as Manectric sighed at his partner, also apologizing.

"Don't worry! It's okay now!" Ash assured. Yuki gave a sigh, as he rubbed the back of his head. Just then, everyone turned to see that the Scatterbug was fully healed from its injuries.

"Scatterbug looks fine now!" Nurse Joy replied, showing the fully healed Bug Type. The Scatterdust Pokémon yawned, feeling happy for its recovery. "Scatterbug! You're okay!" Ash exclaimed.

Later, everyone except Nurse Joy headed to a table where Ash raised a question about the Pokémon Smuggler. "All that talk you were talking about... I never heard of a Pokémon Smuggler before!" Ash admitted.

"They're top criminals, similar to poachers, wanting to capture or steal rare Pokémon in order to sell it at a black market." Yuki explained, gritting his teeth about the cruel Smuggler.

Officer Jenny nodded with a serious look. "That's right. Pokémon Smugglers are bad people who steal, and then sell Pokémon online to the cruel Pokémon collectors of the world over!" Officer Jenny explained.

Serena frowned at that. "First, they steal Pokémon?" Serena asked softly. "Then, they sell it online?" Clemont added. The officer nodded to those questions.

"Right. Dolan's a Pokémon Smuggler. He specializes in Vivillon, so he grabs every Scatterbug and Spewpa he could get his thieving hands on." Officer Jenny explained. That left Serena shocked.

"So, he must be keeping all of them at his hideout! All those poor and helpless Scatterbug and Spewpa..." Serena replied, horrified of thinking what Dolan could be, for such a cruel Smuggler.

Yuki slammed his fists at the table, sounding like he almost broke it. "That fool is nothing but a complete imbecile, thinking that money is all about it..." Yuki grunted angrily, gritting his teeth.

"Of course... Once the Spewpas evolve, he sells them into a premium!" Officer Jenny added. "That's no excuse for that! What an awful guy!" Ash snapped. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu snapped.

"He's the worst!" "He stinks!" "Disgusting!" Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont pointed out. "He's nothing but a giant who has no regrets capturing innocent ones, thinking that it's all fun..." Yuki hissed.

"Hawlucha..." Hawlucha grunted angrily, looking like he was ready to make a move if the Smuggler were to come. Officer Jenny nodded with a smile, seeing that they all agree about Dolan.

Just then, Scatterbug began running around, much to everyone's surprise. "Huh? Scatterbug's getting restless!" Officer Jenny pointed out. Everyone looked back to see the restless Bug Type.

Just then, Scatterbug began to glow! It changed forms, into a Spewpa! "Look!" Clemont pointed out, seeing the new Pokémon. "Ah! I never seen a Pokémon evolve right in front of my eyes!" Bonnie squealed.

"Scatterbug evolves quickly, just like how a Caterpie, Weedle, and a Wurmple does." Yuki stated, taking out his Kalos Pokédex. He scanned the Bug Type to see what it was now.

_"Spewpa, the Scatterdust Pokémon. When Spewpa is attacked, it scares its enemies away by stiffening and spreading its fur like wings."_ Yuki's Pokédex buzzed.

Spewpa spreaded its fur, releasing some of the colorful powders, showing off its new form. Both Ash and Yuki grew amazed to see the evolved Pokémon. Bonnie grew excited about the evolution.

"Since we just saw Scatterbug, could you teach me about evolution, please?" Bonnie pleaded the Kanto trainer. Even Dedenne was excited to hear about the topic of evolution.

"I can do that! No prob!" "Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu declared. The Kanto trainer made his simple explanation. "Evolution is when a Pokémon starts to glow, super bright and turns into a different form! And bam! That's when everyone goes, 'Wow'! That's all there is to it." Ash explained.

Pikachu sweat dropped, sighing. The others weren't impressed with that. "I don't get it at all..." Bonnie muttered. Before Clemont could explain, Yuki made his explanation.

"You see, a Pokémon can evolve under certain different conditions. Like the more a Pokémon gains experience in many battles, as it gets stronger, it glows, changing into a different form!" Yuki explained.

"Lucha Haw!" Hawlucha agreed, posing. "Also, when using an evolution stone... Like a Thunderstone, it could make Pikachu evolve into Raichu, making it a different form, yet stronger." Yuki explained.

Serena smiled happily of hearing the explanation. "Wow! It's so amazing on how they evolve!" Serena squealed. "Mm hm! Pokémon are sure amazing! I guess I've still got a lot to learn!" Bonnie giggled.

Clemont sighed, disappointed that he didn't get to explain. "I could've made the explanation, you know?" Clemont sighed. Ash grinned as he crossed his arms.

"Yuki was saying a similar to way that I was saying... Only it was a bit different!" Ash chuckled. "You think?" Bonnie asked, not believing that. The Hawlucha Boy laughed nervously at that.

"Let's just leave it at that, okay?" Yuki chuckled. "Lucha Haw." Hawlucha agreed with a knowing nod. Just then, Clemont blinked, seeing something on the Bug Type's white fur.

"Hm? There seems to be something in Spewpa's fur!" Clemont pointed out. Officer Jenny took a closer look and nodded. "Yeah! I wonder what it could be!" Officer Jenny wondered.

The Lumiose Gym Leader took out a magnifying glass. "Let's see on what it looks!" Clemont called as he looked to see what was on the fur. "It looks like some sort of chip that's used for transmitting signals!" Clemont pointed out.

Serena blinked in surprise at that. "A signal? But for what?" Serena asked. Officer Jenny leapt to her conclusion. "I know! Dolan must've planted that chip as a tracking device, so he could hunt any Pokémon that might get away from him!" Officer Jenny snapped.

Yuki face palmed, even more annoyed. "That fool is more a fool than I can imagine, being persistent to take his so called 'prize'." Yuki grumbled angrily. Hawlucha sighed at this, also annoyed.

"Then... He must be close by!" Serena replied, shuddering. "If he is, I'll get him!" Ash promised. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Spewpa crawled up to the Kanto trainer, talking to him.

"Huh? What's wrong, Spewpa?" Ash asked. "Spewpa must be worried. Dolan is still keeping its friends captive." Officer Jenny pointed out. Ash lowered to Spewpa's level with a smile.

"You want to get your friends out of there, right?" Ash asked. Spewpa nodded as it jumped onto Ash's left shoulder. "I've got a great idea!" Serena called out.

Everyone then looked at the Vaniville girl in confusion. "First, we'll let Dolan take Spewpa back, and then track him with his transmitter signal! That way, he'll lead us to his hideout and all the Pokémon, too!" Serena suggested.

Yuki smiled, getting up. "I think that idea is great!" Yuki stated. "And that'll make it easier for us to find all of Spewpa's friends!" Ash concluded. "That's a great plan! Do you think we can pull it off?" Officer Jenny asked.

Serena stood up, answering. "We happen to have an inventor in the house!" Serena stated. Clemont smirked as he ran to reveal his invention. "Sounds like my job to get busy!" Clemont replied.

He ran to present his invention, as everyone watched. He smirked, as his glasses flashed. "Heh heh heh! The future is now, thanks to science! Clemontic Gear, on!" Clemont called out.

He revealed an invention that looked like a tracking signal invention. "I happen to have the perfect invention for a situation like this! And here it is! I like to call it, Omnidirectional Super Sensitive Tracking Dish!" Clemont declared.

Ash, Yuki, Serena, and Officer Jenny grew interested with the invention, leaving Bonnie sighing. "The name sounds better..." Bonnie admitted.

Clemont then put the tracking device into his invention, explaining. "The first thing we need to do is detect and memorize the frequency of the transmitter chip! We can then pinpoint Spewpa's location no matter where it goes! Power on!" Clemont explained.

He pressed the power button, which then revealed the location. "See? We're working on it now!" Clemont pointed out. "Awesome! Science is so amazing!" Ash exclaimed.

Even Pikachu and Spewpa agreed to the machine's purpose. "But, Dolan's trapped Scatterbug, right? Remember, Scatterbug evolved into Spewpa, then!" Bonnie reminded. "Spewpa!" The Bug Type replied.

"Don't worry. It'll be no problem! Once he sees Scatterbug's chip on Spewpa, it won't take him long to figure it out." Officer Jenny explained. Serena then frowned sadly, thinking of what might happen.

"I feel uncomfortable about all of this... Maybe we shouldn't be using Spewpa as bait, it's dangerous." Serena reminded. Ash grinned and made his suggestion.

"I'll just pull it off as a decoy!" Ash suggested. "Well, if anybody could do it, it's you!" Clemont chuckled. "Thanks!" Ash thanked with a smile. "Hold on a minute!" Serena called.

Everyone again turned back to the Vaniville girl as Serena winked, holding up a fashion design case. "I thought of this, so I want to help! Costume design is what I do!" Serena giggled.

"The Master of Make Up!" Bonnie added, giggling. So, Serena made a costume design of a Spewpa for Ash, as he imitated Spewpa's voice. Everyone was in awe of what Ash looked now.

"Uh... To be honest, Ash... You really do look like a Spewpa... But, you look too big for the job..." Yuki laughed nervously. Ash groaned, slumping down as Clemont added some truth words.

"Plus, you won't be able to fit in the cage we found Scatterbug in!" Clemont added. Serena then smiled, taking out a smaller case. "Let's have Dedenne do it!" Serena suggested.

Bonnie and Dedenne cheered for that as Yuki sweat dropped. "Weird... Dedenne is going to be in danger if it works, yet the two are excited?..." Yuki thought, twitching his eyes.

Later, Dedenne was in a Spewpa costume as Officer Jenny made her comments this time. Dedenne tripped as she made hers. "You just might be too teeny for this job..." Officer Jenny admitted.

Clemont then made his suggestion. "Then, how about using my Chespin?" Clemont asked. So, Serena made another design for Chespin, who fit the requirements perfectly!

"It's just the right size!" Bonnie pointed out. Chespin shook, looking like he was shaking Spewpa fur. Pikachu and Spewpa cheered for the right thing. "It's just like Spewpa!" Clemont stated.

Everyone else agreed to it, that Chespin will be doing the bait job, much to both Ash and Dedenne's disappointment.

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Tackle, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 18: Vivillon to Glide!**

**Chapter 19: The Kindergarten Exhibition!**

**Chapter 20: A Courage to Befriend!**

**Chapter 21: A Mansion To Moan Over!**

**Chapter 22: Espurr To Play Nice On!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Clemont: Okay! Now that the bait is set, Dolan should be taking Chespin to his hideout now!

Dolan: I've got you now, you little punks! I'll be taking that Spewpa and this little green for the market once I'm done with you!

Ash: You won't be doing that, cause we're here to stop you!

Yuki: You really are a pathetic scum! A Smuggler who takes and steals Pokémon for his own fun!

Dolan: Loudmouths! Get out of the way, or I'll make you regret it, you brats!

Dark Yuki: **SHUT UP! I'll make you pay for this, you foolish old man!**


	18. Vivillon to Glide!

**Chapter 18: Vivillon to Glide!**

Last time on "Pokémon Kalos Journey", Yuki, Ash, and the others were continuing their way to Cyllage City for Ash and Yuki's second Gym battle, until they were interrupted by some thug.

Everyone turned to see an outlaw rumbling by with many cages with Pokémon inside them. The group noticed that he was a criminal, after seeing Officer Jenny chasing after him.

As the group chased after the two, one of the cages fell out, revealing it to be a Scatterbug! At the Pokémon Center, Officer Jenny explained about Dolan, the Pokémon Smuggler who smuggles Scatterbug and Spewpa.

As it went on, Scatterbug had evolved into Spewpa. Clemont then invents a machine that can track Dolan down, by using his Chespin in disguise as bait. Now, they'll have to see whether it'll work or not.

So, back at where Dolan dropped the cage, everyone waited out on a stakeout for Dolan to come by and appear for the dropped 'prize'. "Now, all we need to do is to wait for Dolan to show up!" Serena replied.

"Unless he appears, the whole plan will be rendered useless!" Clemont reminded. "Dolan is a greedy man! He'll definitley come back or he won't be able to make any money!" Officer Jenny assured.

Yuki gritted his teeth, after hearing money. "When he does take the bait and heads to the hideout... I'll be sure to wipe the floor with that fool..." Yuki growled, clenching his fist.

"Lucha..." Hawlucha agreed, narrowing his eyes. "Once he makes his pick up, then we can follow him!" Serena explained. "Then, we can track him down to his hideout!" Ash concluded.

Just then, there was a jeep noise coming by. "Look! It's him!" Bonnie whispered. Everyone ducked down to prevent themselves from being seen as Dolan drove up to the dropped cage.

He got out of the jeep as he walked by. "The signal from the chip's coming from here! Somewhere..." Dolan replied, looking around. He then spotted the dropped cage, where Chespin is in disguise.

"Ah... There you are! There's my precious merchandise, safe and sound!" Dolan chuckled. He held it up, but grew suspicious. "So, you evolved into a Spewpa, eh? Though you do look a bit and sound strange..." Dolan replied.

He held it up, looking closer at the disguised Grass Type. The others in the bushes realized that if Dolan finds out, this plan is terminated. But, to their relief, Dolan took it.

"Heh! Maybe you'll evolve into a huge and proud Vivillon! Ha!" Dolan smirked as he walked back to his jeep. As he was far enough, Officer Jenny smirked. "It looks like Dolan bought the disguise!" Officer Jenny chuckled.

"I know what I'm doing!" Serena smirked, feeling confident. "Off we go!" Dolan called, driving back to his hideout. When he was gone, the four trainers, Bonnie, and Officer Jenny ran up.

"Well, Clemont?" Serena asked. As she asked, the invention activated, pinpointing to where Dolan is headed. "My invention is working great!" Clemont answered. "So, are we all ready?" Yuki asked.

"Yes. Let's move it!" Officer Jenny agreed. So, with Clemont's invention in hand, everyone began to run after the smuggler. As they kept running, the Lumiose Gym Leader made the status.

"Dolan just drove into the forest!" Clemont pointed out. "We can't lose him!" Officer Jenny reminded. "We won't have to worry as long as the tracking device stays on Chespin and gives us the signal!" Yuki assured.

"Hawlucha..." Hawlucha agreed with a nod. Just then, Clemont's invention started to crackle with electricity! He yelped in surprise as the others got confused. "What's wrong!?" Officer Jenny asked.

"I don't know! What happened!?" Clemont yelped. The machine exploded, giving Clemont, Ash, Serena, Yuki, and Bonnie puffy hairs, also including Pikachu, Spewpa, Dedenne, and Hawlucha.

Officer Jenny smiled as she began to drove off. "Alright then. I'll just have to follow him! Thanks for your help!" Officer Jenny thanked as she and Manectric drove after where Dolan was headed.

"Good luck!" Ash called out as the officer disappeared. "Spew!" Spewpa replied, as Ash turned to it with a grin. "Hey, we'll save all your friends! I promise!" Ash promised. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

Yuki then stepped up, suggesting to the Kanto trainer. "Why don't you use Fletchling then to tail after Dolan for a change?" Yuki suggested. Ash grinned and nodded to that.

"Great idea! Fletchling, I choose you!" Ash called. The Tiny Robin Pokémon appeared as the Kanto trainer gave him an order. "I need you to look for a vehicle!" Ash explained.

Fletchling nodded as it flew off, searching after Dolan's jeep. As it flew up, it spotted the jeep as it flew back down, heading back to his trainer. "Find it?" Ash asked. Fletchling nodded and pointed to the way.

"Okay then. We need you to show us where it is, then!" Yuki called. "Lucha!" Hawlucha called. Fletchling nodded as it flew ahead. "Let's go!" Yuki called to the others.

Everyone then followed after Ash's Fletchling, who led the way to where the Pokémon Smuggler was headed. Suddenly, the Flying Type stopped at a branch, making Ash confused.

"What's wrong?" Ash asked. "Maybe Dolan's hideout is nearby!" Clemont panted. Again, he was exhausted with the running he had to do. "Fletchling! Did you find it?" Serena asked.

Fletchling chirped with a nod as the Kanto trainer smiled. "Great! Thanks, Fletchling, return!" Ash thanked, returning the Flying Type to its Pokéball. So, the five ran to a rock, seeing a huge building.

In front of the building, was the same truck that Dolan had while driving! "That's definetley it! Dolan's truck!" Clemont pointed out. "And there's no one guarding the hideout!" Serena explained.

"That's funny... Officer Jenny should've been here a few minutes ago... And it looks strange when no one is guarding the hideout. Do you think that this is a trap?" Yuki asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Lucha lucha..." Hawlucha replied, cocking his head in suspicion as well. "Let's just sit back for a while and wait until what happens." Serena suggested. Before Yuki can agree, Ash made his point.

"But, what if he escapes while we're waiting for her? Let's go." Ash reminded, getting up. Yuki bit his lips, not liking this quiet time one bit. But, Serena still seemed unsure at that.

"Wait! If Dolan catches us, who knows what he'll do to the Pokémon!" Serena reminded. "Serena's right on that one, Ash. It's just too risky. Don't you think the quiet sign is strange as well?" Yuki asked.

Ash narrowed his eyes, trying to think of another option. "Then, what are we supposed to do?" Ash asked. "We should find out if anyone's inside." Serena suggested, glancing at the building.

Ash took out a Pokéball and nodded. "Got it! Froakie, I choose you!" Ash called, summoning the Water Type. Froakie appeared, grinning as it was ready to lend a hand to Ash and the others.

"I need you to find out if anyone's inside that building!" Ash explained. "Froakie!" The Bubble Frog Pokémon agreed, saluting. "If no one is in there, give me this sign!" Ash reminded.

He made an O shape sign for Froakie, as the Water Type nodded, copying his trainer's arm shape. Froakie then leapt off, searching to see if anyone was around.

He hopped onto the building, looking inside. Dolan wasn't anywhere, but all the captive Spewpa were. They were sad and looked eager to escape from their prison that the Smuggler got into them.

Once the Water Type looked around a little longer, he sneakily got out, giving an O shape to Ash and the others. "Froakie's saying the coast is all clear!" Ash pointed out, grinning.

"I'm still not sure about this..." Yuki replied, frowning. "Still, it looks like that it's our chance!" Serena reminded. "Okay then! Let's get in there and save all the captured Pokémon!" Clemont declared.

"Yaay!" Bonnie cheered as Dedenne did the same. With that, the five quietly made their progress, trying to get inside the building. "Spew!" Spewpa whispered to Ash. "Hm? Something wrong?" Ash asked.

Suddenly, Bonnie, Pikachu, Clemont, and Serena all screamed as they were all caught in the net, being held in the tree! Ash, Yuki, Spewpa, and Hawlucha all turned in shock of seeing the trap.

"Pikachu! Everyone!" Ash gasped. "Tch! It was all a trap!" Yuki grunted, glaring at the trap that the others have been caught on. At their surprise, there was a familiar laughing.

"Well well well! It looks like I missed two kids and two Pokémon!" Dolan cackled. "You!" Yuki hissed as he and Ash glared at the Pokémon Smuggler. Dolan gave a evil sneer at his name.

"How about that? Hard of me, huh?" Dolan sneered. "Let all of our friends go!" Ash demanded. Dolan frowned as he gritted his teeth, taking out the cage that had the revealed Chespin inside!

"Give me a break! Nobody tricks me and gets away with it! You punks are responsible for this, aren't you!?" Dolan snapped. Chespin was shown, ashamed for causing the stakeout to fail.

"Wha... It's Chespin!" Ash gasped. Dolan sneered as he explained the reason for the reveal. "It was a rough ride, so the disguise fell off! But, I'll get even with you brats by selling this one, too!" Dolan sneered.

Clemont gasped at that, thinking of what might happen if his Pokémon were to be sold. Yuki gritted his teeth as he and Hawlucha got ready. "Not unless we defeat you right here!" Yuki snapped.

"Hawlucha!" Hawlucha snapped, glaring at the Smuggler. "You're not gonna do that, like Yuki said!" Ash snapped. Dolan grew annoyed as he took out his Pokéball.

"You two got some big mouths on ya! Hand over that Spewpa right now!" Dolan demanded, summoning his Diggersby. Diggersby glared at his two opponents as Ash blinked in surprise.

"Who's that Pokémon?" Ash asked. "That's a Diggersby! An evolved form of Bunnelby!" Yuki explained as he took out his Pokédex.

_"Diggersby, the Digging Pokémon, and the evolved form of Bunnelby. Diggersby can easily lift a boulder weighing over a ton with its powerful ears."_ Yuki's Pokédex buzzed.

Froakie stepped up, joining in with Hawlucha. "You two want to battle?" Ash asked. "Kie! Froak!" Froakie croaked with a determined look. "Two against one... But still, don't underestimate the idiot, Ash." Yuki reminded.

"Got it!" Ash agreed. "Diggersby is both Normal and a Ground Type! So Fighting and Water Type moves are super effective against it!" Clemont explained, seeing the start of the battle.

"I know the two of you can do it, Ash! Yuki!" Bonnie cheered. "Dedenne!" Dedenne called out. "Be careful, you two! Don't lose to a crook like him!" Serena called out.

"No problem. This fool is going down, no matter what!" Yuki assured. "HA! We'll see about that! Diggersby, use Mud Shot!" Dolan shouted. Diggersby leapt in the air, shooting Mud Shot!

"Dodge, Froakie!" "Block it, Hawlucha!" Ash and Yuki cried. As Froakie dodged Mud Shot, Hawlucha blocked it, getting mud on his wings. "Hold on! Wasn't that a risky shot!?" Ash called out.

"No... A Ground Type move has no effect on a Flying Type like Hawlucha. Now! Use Karate Chop!" Yuki shouted. Getting the mud off of his wings, Hawlucha aimed a Karate Chop at Diggersby.

"Alright! You use Bubble, Froakie!" Ash shouted. Bubble took the first hit, as Diggersby repelled it with its giant ears. But, to its surprise, as it left itself defenseless, Hawlucha struck a Karate Chop!

The Digging Pokémon was sent flying to the ground, hard as it struggled to get up. Dolan was angry at this result. "Why you... Use Dig!" Dolan called. Diggersby shot underground, using Dig.

Ash gritted his teeth as Yuki sighed. "That's it? Use Focus Blast into the hole, Hawlucha!" Yuki shouted. Creating a ball of energy, it shot the Focus Blast into the hole!

Underground, there was an explosion as Diggersby was sent flying into the air! "What!? You little brat!" Dolan screamed. "Keep it to yourself unless you win, you giant freak!" Yuki snapped.

Now this time, Dolan was red as a Tamato Berry as he was on rampage. "Use Dig one more time!" Dolan called. Diggersby quickly shot underground as Froakie looked around.

"It's coming after Froakie next!" Clemont gasped. Yuki gritted his teeth. Hawlucha won't be able to have enough time to charge another Focus Blast! "It can come out of anywhere! Be careful and stay focused!" Ash called.

But, before Froakie could look around more, Diggersby slammed the little Water Type into the air. "Froakie!" Ash gasped. "Hawlucha, use Karate Chop again!" Yuki called out.

Once again, Hawlucha tried to strike Diggersby with another Fighting Type attack. But, this time, Dolan was ready. "Doubleslap!" Dolan called. "No! Both Froakie and Hawlucha won't be able to dodge when they're in the air!" Clemont called out.

Clemont was proven right, when Diggersby stopped Doubleslap, as it slapped both Hawlucha and Froakie several times. "Froakie, you're doing great!" Ash assured, encouraging his Pokémon.

"Great!? Prove them wrong with Hammer Arm!" Dolan shouted. Diggersby charged with the powerful Fighting Type attack as Ash and Yuki got ready. "Dodge, then use Aerial Ace!" Yuki called.

"Use Water Pulse and intercept!" Ash shouted. Water Pulse was sent as Diggersby dodged both attacks! Aerial Ace was dodged, much to the boy's surprise. "It dodged both of them!?" Yuki gasped.

Hammer Arm slammed Hawlucha away, causing him to crash into the Hawlucha Boy as they were sent slamming into a tree. The Fighting duo gasped in shock as they took heavy damage.

"Yuki!" Ash gasped. He then turned to see Froakie being slammed away by another one of the Hammer Arm attack. "Froakie!" Ash called. He and Spewpa ran to the Water Type.

Ash then looked back at Diggersby, who was ready to attack again. "Ha ha! Isn't that sweet!? Enough of this! Use Hammer Arm and attack as hard as you can!" Dolan shouted.

Diggersby sneered as it got ready with another Hammer Arm! Suddenly, it stopped, startled of something. "What's wrong!? Use Hammer Arm- Hm!?" Dolan started, then stopped as well.

Everyone grew confused as they all looked back. Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie gasped. Yuki was glowing with dark aura again! Hawlucha grunted, seeing his trainer in darkness again.

"Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha yelled, telling Yuki to resist it. But, it was too late as the darkened Hawlucha Boy got up, giving a cruel smile at Dolan and his Diggersby.

**"This fight isn't over yet, old fool."** Dark Yuki sneered, as his yellow eyes glowed. "No! Not again!" Serena gasped. "Yuki is in the darkness again!" Clemont gasped, seeing the dark aura.

"OLD FOOL!? Now you've done it, you brat! Diggersby, start with the brat with Hammer Arm!" Dolan called. Diggersby charged at the dark Yuki as the dark Hawlucha boy sneered.

"LUCHA!" Hawlucha yelled, using Karate Chop to block. Now, everyone grew surprised. "Hawlucha! Be careful!" "Dedenne!" Bonnie and Dedenne called out. Dark Yuki stayed quiet.

Once Hammer Arm was repelled, the Wrestling Pokémon glared at Dark Yuki. "Lucha! Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha snapped, trying to get his best friend back. **"Hmph. Don't you see it's me, Hawlucha?"** Dark Yuki asked.

"Lucha..." Hawlucha growled, saying that the darkness wasn't Yuki. "Yuki... Hawlucha..." Ash whispered. "Hammer Arm, again!" Dolan shouted, pointing at Ash this time, sneering.

"Ash, look out!" Clemont called. Ash turned around, startled with Diggersby aiming the attack at him! "Spewpa, don't worry! I'll always be here to protect you!" Ash assured, stepping back.

Suddenly, Spewpa charged in, tackling Diggersby away with a Tackle attack! "Ah! Spewpa... you're protecting both of us!" Ash gasped. "Pa!" Spewpa hissed, glaring at the Pokémon Smuggler.

Dark Yuki wasn't satisfied as he ordered the Wrestling Pokémon. **"There's enough distraction for you to use Flying Press, Hawlucha. Do it!"** Dark Yuki demanded, pointing at Diggersby.

"Lucha, Hawlucha!" Hawlucha refused, shaking his head, feeling annoyed and upset about this. **"Do it! Or does Spewpa mean nothing to you!?"** Dark Yuki yelled at Hawlucha.

"Stop it, whoever you are!" Serena demanded. Dark Yuki turned, seeing that the others were glaring at him. "Whoever you are, we know that you're not our Yuki!" Serena snapped.

"Yeah! You're a big meanie, threatening poor Hawlucha like that!" Bonnie added. "Let go of Yuki right now!" Clemont demanded, adjusting his glasses. Dark Yuki just snickered at that.

**"Ha! What a laugh! I only appeared when Yuki really needed it! All it took was for him to be pushed by the bad guys, and I appear, ready to take on his enemy! What's so bad about that!?"** Dark Yuki explained.

"Lucha!" Hawlucha pleaded, slamming into Dark Yuki. The dark Hawlucha Boy grunted in startle, as he glared at the Fighting Type. **"What are you doing!? You have to..."** Dark Yuki started.

But then, he suddenly stopped, grunting in pain. The dark aura began to fade away. "Don't forget, that's my merchandise! ENOUGH! Forget it! Use Hammer Arm and show that Spewpa who's it messing with!" Dolan yelled.

Diggersby jumped into the air, aiming anohter Hammer Arm, this time, on Spewpa. A barrier formed around Spewpa, as it blocked all the multiple hits of the Hammer Arm attack.

"That's Spewpa's Protect!" Clemont pointed out. "Nice work, Spewpa!" Ash complimented. Spewpa then shot String Shot, tying up Diggersby with the tight string. "That's String Shot!" Clemont called out.

"Wow, Spewpa! You're awesome!" Serena exclaimed. "Diggersby's a mummy!" Bonnie giggled. Dolan wasn't impressed as he grew furious. "What do you think you're doing! Get out of that!" Dolan shouted.

Diggersby freed itself from the String Shot, much to Ash's shock. But, at that moment, Yuki called out another attack. This time, there were no darkness around him. "Use Karate Chop, Hawlucha!" Yuki called.

Overjoyed that his best friend was back, Hawlucha grinned and nodded as it jumped into the air, slamming the Karate Chop on Diggersby's head, as it yelled in pain. "What!? Get up!" Dolan shouted.

Diggersby grunted as it got up, recovering from the Karate Chop attack. "Yuki! You okay!?" Ash asked. The Hawlucha Boy ran over, wobbling a little. "Y-Yeah... I'm okay." Yuki assured.

Dolan sneered as he prepared for the next attack. "Now, I think it's time we finish this up!" Dolan sneered. Diggersby cackled, getting ready for the final attack.

But then, Spewpa began spinning around with a restless feeling. "Hey, Spewpa. What's the matter?" Ash asked. Spewpa grew restless as Yuki widened his eyes. "I think we know what this means." Yuki replied.

Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all smiled, seeing that their Yuki was back, as well as the incoming evolution! "Of course! When Spewpa starts getting restless, that means..." Clemont started.

Spewpa finished his words as it began to glow. "It's evolving!" Serena exclaimed, excited about the evolution. Spewpa glowed, forming into a beautiful butterfly, with a beautiful pattern on its wings.

"Wow! So cool!" Ash exclaimed. He and Yuki ran over, both amazed by the evolution. "It has a different pattern than the one that Viola has! Pretty!" Bonnie cried out.

Vivillon flew in the sky, happy with the new form and wings. "Gorgeous! Vivillon's beauty is what makes them such a high price! Scatterbug and Spewpa! They're all fantastic money makers!" Dolan cackled.

He grinned evilly, plotting to capture Vivillon. That didn't go to Ash and Yuki's feelings as they both clenched their fists. "Oh man... That guy... You think the only way for Pokémon to make money!" Ash snapped.

Yuki gritted his teeth, glancing at Hawlucha. Hawlucha nodded back as they both got ready for their timing. Dolan called out his next attack. "Hurry up and get rid of those kids with big mouths or I'll go nuts!" Dolan snapped.

Diggersby shot another Mud Shot at Vivillon as the Bug Type was prepared for that. Vivillon flew in front of the two boys with their two Pokémon, as it created a silver barrier this time.

"That's Safeguard!" Clemont pointed out. Ash grinned at that defense power. "That's great, Vivillon! Go!" Ash called. The Bug Type flew in front of Diggersby, sending in some kind of powder on it.

"It's Stun Spore!" Clemont pointed out. The Stun Spore paralyzed Diggersby as the Hawlucha Boy saw his chance. "Now, Hawlucha! Use Focus Blast!" Yuki shouted.

Hawlucha leapt in the air, launching another Focus Blast, which exploded on Diggersby! Diggersby groaned in pain as it was slammed to the ground, fainted, and unable to continue.

"Diggersby!... Ugh... Alright, I'll catch you myself!" Dolan snapped. He threw out a net, as the Fighting duo saw their chance to strike back. "We... think... not!" Yuki yelled.

"Lucha!" Hawlucha called. Both Yuki and Hawlucha ran, with Hawlucha punching Dolan on the head, and Yuki punching on the left cheek. "GAH!" Dolan screamed as he was sent flying to the ground.

The double punches left him a bruise on his cheek and on his head as he groaned. But, he quickly recovered, getting up. "Argh! You'll pay for that, you Hawlucha brat!" Dolan bellowed.

But then, a tight rope flew around Dolan's arm, catching him off guard! "Wh... What the!?" Dolan gasped. Everyone turned, seeing Officer Jenny with Manectric!

"It's Officer Jenny!" Ash pointed out, grinning. "Sorry to keep you all waiting!" Officer Jenny apologixed as Manectric replied with a gruny, getting ready to shock the outlaw.

"Grr... No, you don't!" Dolan snapped. Officer Jenny glared at Dolan as she kept her hold tight on the Pokémon Smuggler. "Stop! Or prepare for an Electro Ball, see!?" Officer Jenny warned.

Manectric hopped out of the sidecar, growling while sparking with electricity. Dolan wasn't afraid of the threat, though. "If you still think that I'm going to listen of what you say, give me a break!" Dolan snapped.

Just then, Vivillon appeared, spreading some powder on the Smuggler. "Ngh... I'm starting to feel like... I should give up..." Dolan sighed, feeling relaxed for some reason.

"Vivillon's scales have the soothing effect that calms the opponent's fighting spirit!" Clemont pointed out. Dolan knelt down, feeling faint. Officer Jenny smirked, glaring at the outlaw.

"Now, you're under arrest!" Officer Jenny declared. "Ngh... Okay... I'll give up..." Dolan groaned, fainting like Diggersby. Hawlucha had freed Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie from the net.

Once that was done, Clemont brought his Chespin out of its cage. "Chespin, you were great!" Clemont complimented. "Chespin!" Chespin cried out with a smile.

Then, Vivillon flew down, smiling at its friends. "Vivillon!" Vivillon called out, smiling. "Yeah! Let's get the others out of there!" Ash agreed.

**That evening...**

It was sunset as everyone brought the captive Spewpas out, with Vivillon flying above its friends. "Okay, everyone. You're safe and sound now!" Yuki assured. "Hawlucha!" Hawlucha agreed.

"Viv!" Vivillon replied happily, flying to its friends. All the Spewpas grew amazed to see that one of their friends had evolved. "Vivillon looks happy to be with its friends again!" Clemont chuckled.

"It's so nice to see all of you together again!" Serena giggled. Vivillon nodded happily, with the Spewpas nodding as well. Suddenly, all the Spewpas started glowing, beginning to evolve!

Everyone watched, amazed of what's about to happen to all the Spewpas. One by one, they all began to evolve, becoming different kinds of Vivillon, as they all began flying together happily.

Everyone watched, happy for the freed Vivillons as they all began flying away, peacefully towards the evening sun. "Hey, everyone! Don't get caught again!" Ash called out.

The Vivillon cried out their promise, as a few of them flew to Ash and Yuki. "Best wishes! Have a safe time flying together!" Yuki called out. "Lucha Haw!" Hawlucha called, saying his farewell as well.

"Wow... Vivillon are so beautiful!" Serena exclaimed, feeling amazed and happy for them. "They sure are..." Yuki agreed. He had completely seemed to have forgotten about his unconsciousness.

Everyone watched, as the group of Vivillon flew away, being happy as they are. With the peace for them settled, and Yuki calmed down again, what might happen in the next time?

Stay tuned for some more actions with Pokémon!

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 19: The Kindergarten Exhibition!**

**Chapter 20: A Courage to Befriend!**

**Chapter 21: A Mansion to Moan Over!**

**Chapter 22: Espurr to Play Nice On!**

**Chapter 23: A Diet Needed for Chespin!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Penelope: Now that I have won the battle, little boy, you have to come with me!

Yuki: What is this, some kind of a kindergarten class?

Ash: Huh? Who's that little kid over there?

Penelope: Oh... That's Randall. He really does love Pokémon, but he gets shy around them for some reason...

Randall: I... I can't be friends with Pokémon!... I... I'm scared!

Yuki: Hey... And why are you scared by them?


	19. The Kindergarten Exhibition!

**Chapter 19: The Kindergarten Exhibition!**

One afternoon, Ash was facing off against a woman, who seemed to be a young adult, as she smiled at the Kanto trainer, making her words as in reminding Ash of the simple rule.

"If two trainers' eyes happen to meet, then the rule is, they have a battle!" The woman explained. Ash grinned at that, agreeing with the rule. "Yeah, I agree! I'm Ash! This is my friend, Pikachu!" Ash explained.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu replied with a smile. "Uh, is that really a rule?" Serena asked, unsure of this. "I'm not so sure that it's a hard and fast rule, but it is pretty standard stuff." Clemont answered.

The woman took out a Pokéball with a determined look. "My name's Penelope! Sylveon, come on out!" Penelope called, summoning her Pokémon.

As it appeared, it was like a peaceful and beautiful Pokémon who looked formal and caring. It had ribbons on its feelers in its body, as it smiled at the four trainers and Bonnie, seeing her opponent.

Everyone was amazed at the sight of Sylveon. "I never seen that Pokémon before!" Ash admitted, smiling at the new Pokémon. "It's a Sylveon... A Fairy Type Pokémon!" Yuki answered.

**[Pokémon: XY Volt Opening (English Subbed)]**

(Pikachu was shown kissing the screen until he ran with Ash, Yuki, and Hawlucha)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying,**_

(A scene showed a route crossroad, with Meowstic and a group of Swirlix floating by)

_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark, **_

(A grassfield where Vivillon, and Swanna groups are flying at a nearby town)

(Underwater where Water Type were swimming underwater)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were seeing a town from a bridge view)

_**Ice, Normal, Fighting, Fire,**_

(A flower field shows; a group of macarons show; a rainy night shows)

_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy,**_

(The group runs along the route in the city)

_**Come on, from here on out it's an adventure and there's only light ahead**_

(Ash's blue background show him and Pikachu sharing sandwiches together)

_**The sky overflows with a rain of tears but we push through**_

(Serena's pink background show her picking a hat, while Fennekin happily runs around her)

_**Come on, use your courage to be better than you were yesterday**_

(Clemont's blue and yellow background show him inventing a machine before it explodes, while Bonnie runs with Dedenne and Chespin)

_**Treasure any encounter  
****  
Heart's pounding, Challenger!**_

(Yuki's green background shows him and Hawlucha sparring with each other, while Litleo, Heracross, and Bulbasaur cheers)

_**Someday, my dream will be fulfilled **_

(Ash, Yuki, Hawlucha, and Pikachu were running only to be blocked by a huge cliff)

(Silhouettes of Kalos Gym Leaders shine in front of the two)

_**That's what you have taught me, and that's why I travel**_

(Serena place a hand on Ash's left shoulder, Clemont places a hand on Yuki's right shoulder, Bonnie grabs the two's hands together)

(The group runs to the field on their journey)

_**As the red ring of bonds spreads far and wide**_

I'll definitely reach out to everyone with this energy I suddenly feel

(Ash and Yuki make attack calls; Pikachu and Hawlucha fights and defeat the trainers' Honedge and Pangoro)

_**This blue planet of ours is shining with hope**_

(Clemont calls for attacks; Chespin uses Pin Missile, and Bunnelby uses Dig)

(Bonnie cheers, as Dedenne uses Thundershock)

(Serena calls for an attack; Fennekin uses Ember)

(Yuki calls for attacks; Bulbasaur uses Razor Leaf, Litleo uses Ember, Heracross uses Megahorn, and Hawlucha uses Karate Chop)

_**The yellow flowers bloom**_

(Ash calls for attacks: Froakie uses Water Pulse, Fletchling uses Steel Wing, as Pikachu uses Electro Ball)

(A Mega Evolution sign appears; Mega Lucario roars, sending huge power)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying**_  
_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark**_  
_**Ice, Normal, Fire, Fighting**_  
_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy**_

(Xerneas and Yvetal appears; The Japanese opening title appears)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie smile at the viewers with their Pokémon)

**(Title opening ends)**

"Sylveon, huh? It looks kinda similar to Espeon." Ash explained, taking out his Pokédex. _"Sylveon, the Intertwining Pokémon and an evolved form of Eevee. Sylveon affectionately wraps its ribbon-like feelers around its trainer's arms as they walk together."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

"Wow... So it is an evolved form of Eevee after all!" Ash exclaimed, putting his device away. "Like I said, Sylveon is a Fairy Type Pokémon, something I bet you never heard." Yuki chuckled.

"Hawlucha Haw." Hawlucha smirked, shrugging. "Yeah... I guess so... A Fairy Type..." Ash replied, amazed of hearing a new Type. "Yeah! See, Dedenne is a Fairy Type, too!" Bonnie explained.

"Dedenne!" Dedenne agreed. "That's kinda amazing... A new Type, a new Pokémon! Froakie, I choose you!" Ash called, summoning the Water Type into battle, who was ready to fight.

**Penelope: Sylveon VS Ash: Froakie**

"Promise me something!" Penelope requested. Ash blinked in surprise of hearing the request. "If I happen to beat you in our battle, you're coming with me, sweetie!" Penelope giggled.

Serena panicked at that, right at the moment. "Is she serious!? Her and Ash!? No way..." Serena gasped. "You seem desperate for Ash to win, Serena. What's going on?" Yuki asked.

"Lucha?" Hawlucha asked, curious as well. Serena turned bright red as she turned away. "It's nothing! Just nothing!" Serena assured. That caused the Hawlucha Boy to narrow his eyes.

"Hmm..." Yuki replied as he turned back to watch the start of the battle. Ash grinned at the suggestion and nodded. "Sure! But, there's no way I'm going to lose this! Okay, Froakie! Attack with Bubble!" Ash shouted.

Froakie shot the Bubble attack, aiming it at Sylveon! "Sylveon! Use Fairy Wind!" Penelope called. A pink colored wind blew, repelling Bubble, and sending Froakie back!

The Water Type yelped in pain as he was sent flying towards a tree. "Ah! Froakie!" Ash gasped. "That was one decent attack... Fairy Wind repelled Bubble and hit Froakie while still at it!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Lucha Haw..." Hawlucha replied, also amazed with the attack. "Froakie! Are you still able to get up?" Ash asked. Froakie gritted his teeth, before getting up, still ready to continue.

Penelope was already calling out the next attack. "Sylveon! Use Moonblast, let's go!" Penelope shouted. Sylveon charged up a new attack, launching the pink ball of energy at Froakie!

"Froakie, jump!" Ash called. Froakie managed to dodge the attack as apples began to fall down. The Bubble Frog Pokémon kicked and hit the apples, hitting it towards Sylveon.

"Quick! Knock it all back!" Penelope shouted. Sylveon used her feelers to deflect most of the apples, but a few distracted Sylveon enough for Ash to counterattack.

"Ha! Just a decoy!" Ash grinned. Penelope gasped as she looked up in surprise, seeing the Water Type high in the air. "Water Pulse, let's go!" Ash shouted. Water Pulse splashed onto Sylveon!

It knocked her back, sending her skidding back to her trainer. "Nice work, Froakie!" Ash complimented. Sylveon shook off the water from her fur, not liking of what damage it took.

"Are you okay, Sylveon?" Penelope asked. Sylveon nodded back, smiling at her trainer. The Kanto trainer was already making his next attack, hoping to make this a finish. "Okay! It's time to wrap this up! Use Pound!" Ash called.

Froakie ran to hit Sylveon as Penelope only smirked. "Alright, Sylveon! Use Attract!" Penelope called. Hearts came out of Sylveon as it formed around the Bubble Frog Pokémon!

When the Attract got to Froakie, it made funny noises, like it had fallen in love with the Fairy Type. "Froakie, no!" Ash gasped. Yuki narrowed his eyes, as he gritted his teeth.

"Wah! It looks like Attract worked!" Bonnie gasped. "Attract works when the user has a different gender of its opponent. Since Sylveon is a girl, while Froakie is a boy, it did its work." Yuki explained.

"Froakie, snap out of it!" Ash called. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu called. But, to their dismay, Froakie seemed to be not able to hear its trainer or its Electric Type friend. Penelope was ready to make the finishing touch.

"Alright! Now, use Draining Kiss!" Penelope called. Sylveon hopped over, giving Froakie a kiss, but a kiss to drain Froakie's power! Froakie turned red, hearts in its eyes, as it was knocked out.

**Winner: Penelope**

"Froakie!" Ash gasped. He and Pikachu ran over to check on the Bubble Frog Pokémon. "Froakie, are you okay?" Ash asked. Froakie groaned as the others ran over, as Yuki checked Froakie.

"Draining Kiss... It's another Fairy Type move, that can drain the opponent's power, like a kiss to steal something valuable of yours." Yuki explained, frowning with the deadly kiss.

"Froakie is unable to battle! That's it! Here! Take this. It's an Oran Berry!" Penelope called, throwing Ash the berry. "Penelope, thanks a lot! Here, Froakie. Eat this." Ash replied.

Froakie weakly ate the berry, munching on it as its health returned. "Well, I won! So now, you have to keep your promise, sweetie, and come with me!" Penelope giggled.

Serena panicked again, growing red on the cheeks. "She's serious! Are you gonna go with her!?" Serena gasped, not liking it at all. Both Yuki and Hawlucha glanced at Serena, before they both shrugged.

**Later...**

Penelope led the group to where she was going. As they all got there, there was a small building, where many children were outside of it, playing outside, like they were in recess!

"I'm back, children!" Penelope called out. Some of the children saw her as they all grew excited. "Hey, it's Miss Penelope!" A small boy cried out. They all ran to her, smiling.

"Look at all those kids!" Ash replied, surprised to see many of them. "Looks to me like this is some sort of kindergarten class..." Clemont guessed as he adjusted his glasses.

"Well, and it looks like that Penelope here is the teacher to those kids..." Yuki replied, rubbing the back of his head. "Lucha Haw..." Hawlucha agreed, folding his arms, looking at the kids.

"Are you a teacher here?" Clemont asked. "Yes!... Did you all behave while I was out?" Penelope asked, turning back to the kids after answering the question. Once again, the kids smiled.

"Yes, ma'am! We were all really good around here!" The small boy answered. "So, what kind of Pokémon did you bring to us, miss?" The second boy asked. Just then, the girl noticed Ash's Pikachu.

"Oh, look! Pikachu!" The girl called out. That got everyone's attention as most of the kids ran to the Electric Type in excitement. "Look at that! You brought us a Pikachu to play today!" The second girl called out.

"Play today?" Serena asked, confused. "So neat! I never seen a Pikachu this close in person!" The boy explained, amazed at the Electric Type. "Neither have I!" The girl admitted.

Pikachu sweat dropped, seeing that the kids were getting too close to him. He climbed up on Ash, getting onto his partner's head. "Look! Froakie, too!" "Wow! It's Hawlucha! So cool!" Some kids called out.

Froakie blinked before hopping off, letting one girl chase after him. Some of the boys ran to see Hawlucha, who spreaded his arm wings, amazing the boys. "Wow! It looks cool!" The boy exclaimed.

"Welcome back!" An elder woman called out. The four trainers, Bonnie, and Penelope turned to see an elder woman who seemed to be surprised at the appearance of the trainers.

"It looks like you brought Pokémon with trainers today!" The woman chuckled, walking up to the teacher. "That's right! I did! It's something new! We ran to Ash and his friends when were out in the woods!" Penelope explained.

"How nice of you all to come!" The woman chuckled. Penelope turned, explaining the situation.

"You see, Sylveon and I come to the fields and forests most of the days, and the two of us make friends with wild Pokémon, and then we bring it back here with us!" Penelope explained.

"We do this, so that the children can meet them and learn all about them!" The woman explained. "Interesting..." Clemont admitted, thinking this through.

"You could've just told us that right from the start! Right, buddy?" Ash asked, looking up at Pikachu. Yuki smiled lightly, before seeing Froakie leaning on against a wall, still disappointed for its loss.

As for the four trainers and Bonnie, the kindergarten kids seemed attracted to Pikachu and Hawlucha more. "Wow! Pikachu is so cool!" "Hawlucha looks amazing!" A few kids called out.

"Can we pet Pikachu, please?" Another kid asked. "Sure! Why not?" Ash answered with a nod. The Electric Type leapt off of Ash's shoulder and let the kids pet him. One girl touched his cheeks.

"Wow! It's so soft!" The first girl giggled. "It sure is!" The second girl agreed. ""I didn't know Pikachu's tail is pointy like that!" The boy admitted, feeling amazed of seeing the tail.

Bonnie ran over and explained. "Ooh! You see, Pikachu likes it when you pet his tail!" Bonnie explaned. "Really?" The boy asked as he felt Pikachu's tail. The Electric Type let out a happy 'Cha...'.

The kids were quite amazed as some were interested in Hawlucha. One of them felt his wings as the Wrestling Pokémon smiled, relaxing in their touch. "Whoa... His wings are so soft!" The boy exclaimed.

"Is it? That's the first time anyone had said about Hawlucha's wings." Yuki smirked, rubbing the back of his head. Hawlucha smirked in a goofy way, scratching his head as well.

"Since we're all here, you're as welcome to play with my Pokémon if you like!" Clemont reminded. "Are you sure?" Penelope asked, smiling. "Wow! That's a great idea, Clemont!" Serena exclaimed.

"More Pokémon would make it more fun!" Ash exclaimed as he took out his Pokéball. "I guess it would be okay." Yuki agreed, taking out his three Pokéballs. "Come on out, everybody!" Ash called out.

Ash, Yuki, Serena, and Clemont threw their Pokéballs in the air, summoning more of their Pokémon. Fennekin, Heracross, Bulbasaur, Chespin, Fletchling, Litleo, and Bunnelby appeared as the kids grew amazed.

"Look! It's a Fletchling and Bulbasaur! And there's a Heracross, too!" The boy exclaimed. "And there's a Bunnelby, Chespin, Litleo, and a Fennekin as well!" The girl giggled.

"And here is my friend, Dedenne!" Bonnie giggled as the Electric-Fairy Type ran out to join the other Pokémon. Just as the kids were playing, both Yuki and Ash noticed two boys.

One of them seemed to be a kindergartener, while the other was a Trainer. "Who was that?" Ash asked. "Oh! The trainer over there is a boy named Sama. And the other is Randall. I'll go Randall if you would like." The woman explained.

She walked off, hoping to catch up to the shy kindergartener as the boy, Sama walked out, seeing Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Yuki. He seemed to have blonde hair, black eyes, and a sad looking face.

He wore a white shirt, with a gray vest. He also had sky-blue jeans, and a black-gray sneakers with him. "Um... hi..." Sama replied shyly. "Hi there! So, are you Sama?" Serena asked.

"Y-Yes... That's me..." Sama answered, rubbing his arm. "I'm Serena! These are my friends, Ash, Clemont, and Yuki. And the little girl with the Dedenne is named Bonnie!" Serena explained.

"Nice to meet you! So, are you really a trainer?" Ash asked. Sama blinked in surprise before stepping back a little. "Um... Yes... I'm just a beginning trainer, but I do have one Kalos Gym Badge..." Sama explained.

"Ash and I have one Gym Badge as well. We're both equal, in a way." Yuki explained, showing his Badge Case where a Bug Badge was at. Sama blinked at seeing the badge, before he smiled.

"Sama here was helping out for today, since one of our other kindergartener teacher was sick, so he volunteered to help out, especially with Randall." Penelope explained, walking up.

"Y-Yes... That's why I'm here." Sama answered. "Do you have any kind of Pokémon with you?" Clemont asked. Sama nodded before smiling sadly. "I have two..." Sama answered, taking out his two Pokéballs.

He threw them in the air, summoning his two Pokémon. It was a Chimchar and a Pancham! "Whoa! It's Chimchar! One of the Sinnoh region starters!" Ash exclaimed. "And there's Pancham, too!" Serena added.

Yuki took out his Pokédex, scanning Chimchar. _"Chimchar, the Chimp Pokémon. Chimchar is able to climb nimbly up ledges and cliffs. They live on top of rocks and extinguish their flames when they sleep."_ Yuki's Pokédex buzzed.

Chimchar blinked, before hiding behind Sama's leg as Serena giggled. "Hee hee! Chimchar seems so shy!" Serena giggled. "This Chimchar kinda reminds me an old friend of mine who had a Chimchar..." Ash admitted.

"You see... Chimchar is really shy, just like I am. You could say that, we both have the same personalities. I got Chimchar as my first Pokémon, since I'm a trainer from the Sinnoh region." Sama explained.

"So, you must've moved to Kalos and caught Pancham as your first caught Pokémon, right?" Clemont asked. "Mm hm... I'm not so good at battles, though..." Sama admitted, looking down.

Chimchar blinked, before hugging Sama's leg in a tight grip, as Pancham scoffed, turning away from the trainers as they sweat dropped, seeing that the little Fighting Type was a bit rude.

With the introductions done, the trainers all looked to see the kids playing with all of the group's Pokémon. The trainers smiled as they all went off to tell the kids about their Pokémon.

Sama watched from behind, not wanting to cause too much attention as he stayed behind Yuki. A couple of boys were playing around with Heracross and were awed with Hawlucha's strength.

"Wow... Heracross is so big! And the horn is long, too!" One boy called out. He petted the Bug-Fighting Type, who seemed to be enjoying it. "Heracross was my first caught Pokémon, you see..." Yuki explained.

"Wow..." The boys breathed out, amazed. Few of the girls were more interested into Litleo and Fennekin. Fennekin yipped happily with the soft petting as Litleo purred and blushed.

Litleo relaxed in the soft rubbing of the kids. "Fennekin's fur is so soft!" "Litleo's fur is soft, too!" The girls pointed out, giggling. "Thanks! I usually brush my Fennekin everyday! Litleo is groomed by Yuki, that is." Serena explained.

Some boys were interested in Bulbasaur and Bunnelby. "Whoa... I never knew that Bunnelby's ears were so big!" One kid called out. "And Bulbasaur's bulb looks so cool!" The second boy exclaimed.

"Bulbasaur can use the bulb for many attacks, like Razor Leaf!" Yuki called out as he was still with Heracross and Hawlucha. The boys widened their eyes as the female Grass Type blushed.

"Also, Bunnelby's ears are really strong! Bunnelby, use Dig!" Clemont called. Bunnelby nodded and drilled underground to use Dig. He then popped out of multiple holes, appearing with surprises.

The boys were amazed as Bulbasaur launched a Razor Leaf. The leaves went high in the air, before cutting a small tree into a few pieces. "WOW!" The boys exclaimed as they were amazed with the power.

Chespin was being petted by a couple of other boys, as Bonnie was feeding Dedenne and Fletchling some Pokémon food, as she showed the other little girls on feeding one.

"See? Isn't Dedenne a cutie?... Here you go, Fletchling!" Bonnie giggled, giving Fletchling a piece of a Pokémon food. She then gave one to Sylveon, who happily took it with a smile.

"And you too, Sylveon!" Bonnie giggled, handing two pieces to the Fairy Type. Sylveon took the two and offered one to Froakie, who immediately refused. Ash and Yuki saw it as Penelope walked over.

"Is something wrong with Froakie?" Penelope asked. "It's because he lost the battle to Sylveon. I think Froakie's a little embarrassed about the Attract!" Ash chuckled nervously, smiling.

"Well, losing to a girl can make a boy embarrassed of something, something that they didn't want to lose in. "Come on, Froakie. It's all over now." Ash assured. But, that didn't seem to convince the Water Type.

Just then, the woman with the little boy, Randall, arrived, with the little one nervous about seeing the Pokémon. "See? Look at all the Pokémon!" The woman chuckled as Randall gulped.

"Uh... Yeah..." Randall replied, trying to pull his hat over his face. Ash smiled as he held Froakie in his arms, just as Bonnie and Sama came over. "Your name is Randall, right? My name's Ash!" Ash chuckled.

He walked over to Randall as he asked. "Randall, how would you like to be friends with Froakie?" Ash asked. "Froakie..." Froakie sighed, looking up. "Huh?... Um... I, I'm kind of scared..." Randall gulped.

"You know that Froakie isn't going to hurt you, you know that?" Sama asked, crouching down to Randall's level. Bonnie ran over, trying to convince the little boy as well with Pokémon food in her hand.

"Why don't you try to feed Froakie..." Bonnie started, but Randall slapped her hand away, getting annoyed and scared. "No way! I'm scared!" Randall snapped, turning away.

Both Sama and Bonnie blinked in surprise as they both looked at each other in worry. "Bonnie, why don't I give it a try?" Sama asked. Bonnie agreed as she gave a piece of Pokémon food to Sama.

The Sinnoh trainer put Chimchar on his shoulder, giving him a piece of Pokémon food. "Randall, you know that these Pokémon aren't going to attack here. What are you so afraid of?" Sama asked.

Randall bit his lips, refusing to believe the truth. "Those Pokémon don't fool me... You'll never know of what they'll do..." Randall assured, hiding his face with his hat.

He recalled of the time when he tried to befriend a Pokémon, but felt like he was being attacked for startling it. "All I wanted was for me and Hoppip to be friends... it was awful..." Randall explained.

The others were around to hear it, as the trainers frowned. "I'm sorry that that happened to you." Serena apologized. "You know, Hopip must've seen something, and must've tried to warn you or something." Yuki assured.

"Sometimes, not knowing what a Pokémon will do can be lots of fun!" Bonnie assured. "Try not to let them scare you so much." Ash reminded. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

"But how!? I can't help on how I feel... I can't! They'll never be my friends!" Randall yelled, covering his face again. Yuki bit his lips as he held Randall harshly, much to his shock.

"Don't say such things! Just one little thing happens, but you don't know the true reason for Hoppip running away! Are you saying that the Pokémon wanted to attack you!? That's a lie for sure! What I'm saying is, don't leap to something that can sound pretty stupid!" Yuki snapped.

"You don't understand! How can you!?" Randall shouted back. Penelope and the woman blinked in surprise, seeing that their little one was fighting a trainer.

"Oh, I understand one thing. You're acting like a little coward, and you can never befriend a Pokémon if you keep acting like this! A Pokémon wants to be your friend, yet you push them away. That's how much of a coward you are!" Yuki snapped.

"Yuki! Stop! You're scaring him!" Serena scolded. The Hawlucha Boy ignored her and scoffed, glaring at the boy. Randall trembled, sounding like he was going to cry, until a truck came by.

Everyone looked up to see a truck moving into the schoolyard as they wondered of what was going on.

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Tackle, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 20: A Courage to Befriend!**

**Chapter 21: A Mansion To Moan Over!**

**Chapter 22: Espurr To Play Nice On!**

**Chapter 23: A Diet Needed for Chespin!**

**Chapter 24: A Fire Witch VS Fighter!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Penelope: Sylveon! What's going on... Ah, oh no! Where is Randall!?

Ash: Hold on, Randall! Pikachu! I'm coming for the both of ya!

Randall: I'm still scared of this... What's going to happen to us?

Yuki: Just be brave, like a hero who loves Pokémon... You love Pokémon, don't you, kid?

Randall: I guess so... But, I don't know on how I could help both Pikachu and Sylveon...

Ash: We can do it together! As in teamwork, I mean!


	20. The Courage to Befriend!

**Chapter 20: The Courage to Befriend!**

Last time on "Pokémon Kalos Journey", Ash was challenged to a Pokémon battle by a young woman named Penelope, who happened to own a Sylveon, defeating Ash and his Froakie with little effort.

Once the battle was over, Penelope brought the five over to her kindergarten class, where the group discovers that she wanted them to give the children some fun, along with a boy named Sama.

As the children were playing with Ash, Clemont, Serena, and Yuki's Pokémon, both Ash and Yuki have noticed another shy boy, whose name was Randall, and was currently scared of Pokémon.

Even with Ash persuading him that Froakie wouldn't attack, and when Sama asked him to feed Bonnie's Dedenne, nothing seemed to work as Randall's fear overcame his like of Pokémon.

His fear caused the Hawlucha Boy to be angry a little as he berated the little boy for being such a coward on Pokémon, causing Randall to shiver in fear a little, until something was about to happen.

What is about to happen, and how will this event get Randall out of his fear habit?

"Yuki! Stop! You're scaring him!" Serena cried out. The Hawlucha Boy ignored her and scoffed, glaring at the little boy. Randall trembled, sounding like he was going to cry, until a truck came by.

Everyone looked to see the vehicle backing up, into the schoolyard! The side of the truck opened up, revealing two people in the truck as the woman smiled, seeing the children.

"Well! Hello there, boys and girls!" The woman giggled. The little man was in a Cubchoo costume, holding some balls, with the woman holding some as well.

"We put together a super duper show for all of you cutie kiddies! Get ready for a great time!" The little man called out. The two then began to juggle some balls together happily.

The kids were immediately amazed with the tricks as the kindergarteners ran to the truck. Even Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie followed along. "Let's go, Randall!" Serena called out.

"Okay..." Randall agreed as he nervously followed along. Only Yuki, Sama, Penelope, and the school principal stayed behind. "What is this? Did you ask those folks to come over here?" The principal asked.

"No... I didn't!" Penelope answered. "But... wouldn't that mean that they came here randomly for some reason, Miss Penelope?" Sama asked, cocking his head. "I'm thinking..." Penelope reminded.

"Hm... Something about this seems a little off..." Yuki admitted. "Lucha..." Hawlucha agreed, thinking about the strange thing as well, with his human partner. But, the Fighting duo shook it off.

As the thought passed away, both Yuki and Sama walked over to see of what was going on. "What is this?" Sama asked. Even Chimchar came out of his hood, curious about what was going on.

"Chim?" Chimchar asked, cocking his head. "One of our favorite past times is to travel around, and entertain all you children!" The woman giggled, explaining the reason for their appearance.

The Kanto trainer seemed to be psyched up about this. "Alright! Can I try it, too?" Ash asked. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu called out, wanting to try out as well. With that question, a man with a Beartic suit came out of the truck.

"Of course! You're welcome to! The more, the merrier, I say!" The man agreed, presenting the jugglers. "Cool!" One kid called out. "Awesome! Let's try it!" Ash agreed as he turned to Randall.

"Come on, Randall. Let's try it out! I know that it's going to be fun!" Ash promised. Randall grew hesitant as the Kanto trainer gestured him to the truck stage as the children followed along.

"You're all our special guests! So, people and Pokémon! Right this way in the stage!" The man called out as most of the children and Pokémon got onto the stage.

Even Bunnelby and Chespin had forced Froakie and Hawlucha to get onto stage, much to their embarrassment. As everyone got onto the stage, the woman and the little man took out some balls.

"Alright then! Everyone gets one of these balls!" The woman called out. With that said, both she and the Cubchoo suit guy handed the kids and the trainers balls.

"With these things, even beginners can play! Which means, everyone!" The little man called out. The kids cheered for the entertainment beginning. As the balls were being handed out, Yuki glanced to see Randall.

He seemed to be distancing from everyone else, as well as Froakie, who was still uninterested with the event going on. The Hawlucha Boy sighed, seeing that the fun isn't going to work for them.

He walked over to Randall, without everyone else noticing. The little boy noticed Yuki as he gasped, turning his head away. "Randall... Let's talk for a bit." Yuki explained, sitting down.

"Um... Okay..." Randall agreed, looking down, still shivering a little. "I'm sorry that I called you a coward. But, with you acting this way, there is no chance that you can become a Trainer if you grow up!" Yuki explained.

"Lucha Hawlucha." Hawlucha agreed, standing besides his trainer. Randall gasped as he tried to scooch away. "Ah!" Randall gasped, startled and scared at Hawlucha coming at him.

"You just made my point..." Yuki sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Lucha..." Hawlucha sighed, a little embarrassed that he actually scared off a kid. "Hawlucha isn't going to attack you... He only attacks enemies." Yuki explained.

"Enemies? Like what?" Randall asked. "Well... For example... We have these bad guys called Team Rocket. Those people always try to steal other people's Pokémon." Yuki started off.

"Team Rocket? But... why do they do that?" Randall asked, blinking in worry. "They say that they want to take over the Kalos region by using the Pokémon as tools to achieve that goal." Yuki explained.

He then looked at the other kids, with Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Sama. "So, when that happens, my friends and my Pokémon help each other out in order to stop their plans, and to make the Pokémon happy." Yuki explained.

"Hawlucha Lucha Haw." Hawlucha agreed, nodding with a grin. "Oh..." That was the only thing Randall could say at the moment, half-amazed, and half-scared.

The Hawlucha Boy then turned back to the frightened kindergartner. "Tell me... Would you really think that Hoppip wanted to attack you when you tried to befriend it?" Yuki asked.

Randall looked down on the floor, frowning. "I... really don't know..." Randall admitted, frowning sadly. Suddenly, as both Yuki and Randall looked up to see the balls flying in the air, smoke poured out of them!

"Huh!?" "What in the..." Randall and Yuki gasped as the smoke blinded everyone on the stage. "Oh no! What happened!?" Randall gasped. "That's what we'd all like to know!" Yuki coughed.

"Oh no... What's going on here?" Bonnie panicked, looking around. "I don't see those entertainers anywhere!" Clemont pointed out, squinting his eyes to try and see through the smoke.

"Me, neither!" Serena complained. "Let's all try to get off the stage! Everybody, watch your step!" Ash called out. Everyone nodded as they all began to get off the stage truck.

The children all ran to Penelope and the school principal. "Is everybody off the stage?" Ash asked. Suddenly, three glowing nets appeared, trapping Pikachu, Sylveon, and Hawlucha in a glass cage!

Both Ash and Yuki were knocked off of their feet as the two fell to the ground. "Pika Pi!" "Lucha!" Pikachu and Hawlucha called to their trainers. "Ash!" "Yuki!" Serena and Clemont called out.

Penelope, Sama, Bonnie, Clemont, and Serena ran over to see what happened. "Are you two okay?" Serena asked. "Yeah... It's nothing bad..." Yuki grunted as he got up, glaring at the truck stage.

"Hold on! Where did Sylveon go!?" Penelope asked, concerned. The truck stage doors closed as the three 'entertainers' appeared on top of the vehicle as they revealed themselves!

"Prepare for trouble! What's going on is us!"

"And make it double, being us is a plus!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reaches to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"And James!"

"Team Rocket, blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare for a totally grown up fight!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"No... Not you losers again!" Yuki snapped, glaring at the evil trio. "Team Rocket!?" Penelope gasped, shocked and annoyed. The Kanto trainer got up, annoyed as he explained the situation.

"Argh... They're bad guys, who love to steal other people's Pokémon! Give back Pikachu and Sylveon!" Ash demanded. As usual, they refused. "Just as soon as you stop being a twerp!" Jessie sneered.

"Which is never! After all, stealing other people's Pokémon is a one way street! In we go!" James chuckled as the evil trio went inside the truck, prepared to move for an escape.

The truck began to move as both Ash and Yuki ran after the truck! "Come back!" "Hold it right there!" Ash and Yuki yelled as the two ran after the truck. "Pikachu! Sylveon! Hawlucha!" Yuki grunted.

The two boys leapt, as they grabbed onto the back of truck's bars. Fletchling flew after the truck and the two boys as the others gasped in shock. "Oh no, Ash! Yuki!" Serena and Bonnie called out.

"Randall! Randall! Where is he!?" The school principal called out. Penelope widened her eyes as she looked around, before she turned to the retreating truck. "Where's Randall!?" Penelope shrieked out loud.

Sama breathed hard and out as he was shocked of what happened. "Chim..." Chimchar whimpered, gripping Sama's leg in an iron grip, frightened for what had happened just now.

As the truck moved, a mud shot out of nowhere, hitting Fletchling! "Ah! Fletchling!" "No way!" Ash and Yuki gasped, seeing the Tiny Robin Pokémon go down in one mud shot.

**In the truck stage...**

Randall was in a dark space, nervous of where they were going. "We're moving? But, where to?" Randall asked, shivering in fear. He crawled around, looking to see if there was any way out.

Suddenly, he bumped into something... or someone. It was Froakie! Both Randall and Froakie screamed in surprise until they heard familiar voices. Small explosions and electricity sounded behind them.

It was Pikachu and Hawlucha! The two were trying to use Thunderbolt and Focus Blast to escape their glass prison. "Pikachu! Sylveon! Hawlucha!" Randall gasped in shock, along with the Bubble Frog Pokémon.

**Outside of the truck...**

Ash and Yuki were still struggling with the back of the truck's door handle. "Argh... Hang in there!" Ash grunted. "We're coming, you three!" Yuki grunted as he tried to help Ash with the door.

**Back at the school...**

Everyone was searching around, looking for Randall. "Heeey! Randall!" One kid called out. "Randall! Where are you!?" Penelope called. "If you can hear us, yell out loud!" "Chim!" Sama and Chimchar called out.

But, even with their loud calls, there was no answer. "I don't see him anywhere!" One girl called out, feeling worried. "Where could he have gone?" The school principal asked, concerned.

"Could it be..." Serena started, as the Lumiose Gym Leader knew what the Vaniville girl meant. "Yeah... Maybe he didn't get off the stage in time." Clemont agreed. Sama frowned at that.

"You mean, it could be kidnapping!?" Sama panicked. Bonnie tugged on her older brother's sleeve with worry. "That means that Randall is still in the truck!" Bonnie pointed out.

Penelope frowned, getting serious for her school children. "I have to rescue them! Will you watch all the children while I'm gone?" Penelope asked the principal.

"Of course..." The principal agreed as the three trainers and Bonnie stepped up. "I'm coming with you, Penelope!" Serena declared. "We want to go with you, too!" Clemont agreed.

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to come, too." Sama volunteered. "Chimchar!" "Pan!" Chimchar and Pancham called out in their determination together. "Thank you all..." Penelope thanked, smiling in relief.

**Back at the truck...**

Bubble was shot at the glass cages, but it had no effect. Hawlucha frowned, crossing his arms, before he tried to use Karate Chop to break the glass. But, it proved to be more futile as well.

"Pika?" "Sylveon?" Pikachu and Sylveon asked, asking if Froakie needed help. Froakie scoffed, turning away as he unleashed another Water Pulse, aiming it at the Fairy Type's cage.

As it passed, there was no dent or cut on the glass. Water Pulse proved to be useless as well. Randall watched as the Bubble Frog Pokémon kept trying to free his friends with a surprised expression.

Suddenly, the back of the truck door opened, showing both Ash and Yuki! "Hey, Randall! Froakie! What are the two of you doing here?" Ash asked, surprised. "I think the answer is obvious." Yuki muttered.

"It's Ash and Yuki!" Randall exclaimed. The four Pokémon smiled of seeing the two trainers as the boys walked in. "It's alright. We're here together, so there's no need to worry." Yuki assured.

He walked up to Hawlucha's glass cage as the Wrestling Pokémon grinned at him, sighing. "Hawlucha Haw." Hawlucha smirked, giving a thumbs up at his human partner.

"Thanks for waiting, partner. Now... let's see if we can get you and the others out of here..." Yuki grunted, trying to look for a weak spot. Ash walked up to Pikachu and Sylveon's cage with a smile as well.

"Pikachu and Sylveon! Let's get you two and Hawlucha out of here right away!" Ash exclaimed, grinning at the two. The Hawlucha Boy stopped the smile as he frowned, thinking.

"Easier said than done. Hawlucha and Froakie together couldn't break the cages with their attacks, whether it was special or physical." Yuki muttered. "Well, I've got a good idea in mind!" Ash assured.

He and Froakie both stepped back as the Hawlucha Boy got the idea. He nodded as he stepped back as well. "Okay then... Let's just hope that it works..." Yuki replied, getting ready for Ash's plan.

"Okay... Ready! HA!" Ash exclaimed. He, Yuki, and Froakie all bashed Sylveon's cage hard, trying to break her free. "One more time! GO!" Yuki yelled as the three bashed the glass again.

Like before, the cages remained stable as no cracks or dents were made. "Man! Those cases are tough!" Ash exclaimed. "Hey, Randall. Could you give us a hand here?" Yuki asked the little boy.

Randall blinked in shock before looking back at the three captive Pokémon. "All three of the captured Pokémon here are all counting on you!" Yuki reminded, gesturing to Pikachu, Hawlucha, and Sylveon.

The little boy watched as Froakie grew persistent, bashing into Sylveon's cage as he pulled his hat over his eyes. "I'm scared... I can't help anyone..." Randall replied, still frightened.

The Hawlucha Boy frowned as he walked over, kneeling down to Randall's level. "Remember when I asked you if Hoppip really wanted to attack you?" Yuki asked, smiling at the kindergartner.

"I do... But, I don't know what to do!" Randall explained. Ash turned this time, grinning. "Of course you can help! If we all work together, I know that the four of us can do it!" Ash assured.

"Oh... Poor Sylveon..." Randall whispered, enough for the Hawlucha Boy to hear. Yuki smiled as he offered a hand to the little boy. "Come on... You want Sylveon and the others to be happy, right?" Yuki asked.

Randall blinked in surprise, before looking at the three Pokémon. "Sylveon is Miss Penelope's Pokémon, and her friend... And, she's my friend, too! Along with Pikachu and Hawlucha!" Randall exclaimed.

"Yeah! That's right!" Ash chuckled, smiling at the little boy's determination. "I want to help, too!" Randall agreed, taking Yuki's hand as the Hawlucha Boy helped him up as the two boys gave him thumbs up.

"Now, that's what we call, brave and full of courage!" Yuki chuckled, patting Randall on the head. Randall giggled as he faced the cages with the two boys and the Water Type.

"Let's... GO!" Yuki yelled as they all ran at the cage. Ash, Yuki, Randall, and Froakie all bashed into Sylveon's glass cage once more. But, this time, cracks began to appear on the glass.

"It's working... One more!" Yuki called. "Right! GO!" Ash agreed as they all bashed the glass again. Finally, the cage shattered, and Sylveon was free! The Fairy Type cried out happily for her freedom.

"ALRIGHT!" Ash, Yuki, and Randall cried out. As the little boy fell to the floor, his hat fell off as Froakie leaped over to him, patting him on the shoulder. Sylveon smiled, rubbing Randall's head with her ribbon-like feelers.

"Sylveon is saying; 'Thank you'!" Ash explained. Sylveon nodded happily as she kept rubbing Randall's head. This time, instead of getting scared, the kindergartner smiled happily.

"Sylveon, thanks!" Randall thanked. Sylveon giggled with a nod as she walked over to Froakie, nudging him affectionately. Froakie freaked out, turning bright red in embarrassment.

"Kie!? Kie kie Froak!" Froakie yelped in shock as Sylveon giggled at his reaction. The three boys smiled at the Water Type's reaction as well. "Pika Pika!" "Lucha Haw!" Pikachu and Hawlucha called out.

Everyone turned, getting ready to save the two Pokémon as well. "Alright! Let's get both Pikachu and Hawlucha out as well!" Randall called out. "That's what we'd like to hear!" Yuki chuckled.

With that agreed, everyone bashed into Pikachu and Hawlucha's glass cage. Ash and Randall bashed onto Pikachu. Yuki, Froakie, and Sylveon bashed into Hawlucha's glass cage.

At the same time, both glasses shattered, freeing both Pikachu and Hawlucha. "Pikachu!" "Hawlucha!" The two cried out happily as Pikachu leapt into the Kanto trainer's arms.

"Pikachu! Are you okay, buddy?" Ash asked, grinning at his Electric Type partner. "Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed, nuzzling Ash on the cheek happily. "How are you feeling, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked.

"Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha smirked, grinning. As the double reunion was made, Randall smiled at the two boys with their Pokémon partners. "Wow... That's great, Pikachu! Hawlucha!" Randall giggled.

Froakie and Sylveon smiled along, both nodding at the little boy. Yuki sighed in relief; Randall has finally gotten rid of his fear now! Just then, everyone felt the truck lurch somehow.

"What's going on?" Randall asked, startled as Sylveon got close to the little boy. "I think Team Rocket's making a stop here..." Yuki answered, narrowing his eyes as Ash nodded.

Pikachu, Froakie, and Hawlucha nodded along as they all got ready for the battle coming up. After for a few seconds, the truck stage was opening up, as everyone saw Team Rocket all sneering.

"...Wow! Look out, six figure raids!" Jessie laughed. "These aren't our glory days!" James laughed along. But, the laughing stopped as the evil trio noticed the two boys glaring at them!

Their three captive ones were also free from their prisons as well! "What!? There's... twerps in our truck!?" Jessie shrieked. Team Rocket panicked as they backed away a little.

"Uh... You won't sell..." James gulped. Both the Hawlucha Boy and the Kanto trainer leapt off the truck, ready to face the evil trio. "We'll be taking Pikachu, Hawlucha, and Sylveon back whether you like it or not!" Yuki declared.

"Not on our watch!" James snapped. Both he and Jessie took out their Pokéballs, ready for a battle. "Pumpkaboo! I need you!" "Okay, Inkay! You too!" Jessie and James shouted, summoning their Pokémon.

"Use Shadow Ball!" "Psybeam, Inkay!" The duo shouted. Both attacks were launched at the boys as Sylveon glared at the enemies, wrapping the feelers around Randall, staying close to him.

"Froakie! You use Water Pulse! Pikachu, you use Thunderbolt!" Ash called out. "Hawlucha, Focus Blast, let's go!" Yuki shouted. The three leapt in the air, launching their own attacks.

The five moves collided, creating a small explosion. "Now, Pikachu! Electro Ball!" "Hawlucha, another Focus Blast, full power!" The two boys shouted.

The partners nodded as they both jumped into the air, as they launched their attacks at the evil trio. Team Rocket panicked and screamed as they were blasted out of the abandoned warehouse.

"WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" Team Rocket screamed as they disappeared into the blue sky. As they were gone, Fletchling chirped to Ash, flying towards him.

"Hey, Fletchling!" Ash exclaimed, allowing the Flying Type to land on his arms. Immediately, a car drove up, as it stopped. Serena and Clemont came out, with Sama, Bonnie, and Penelope behind.

"Ash! Yuki! Everybody! You're all okay!" Serena exclaimed. "Yeah! Of course we are!" Ash exclaimed. He gave the Hawlucha Boy a high five as Yuki smiled, taking it.

**Later...**

It was sunset as Randall explained the whole story to everyone in the school. "And guess what!? I helped save Pikachu, Hawlucha, and Sylveon!" Randall explained as the school principal smiled.

"You did, Randall?" The principal chuckled. "No kidding? So cool!" The first kid exclaimed, amazed. Randall giggled as he turned to Hawlucha and Froakie, looking up at the two boys.

"Hey, Ash... Yuki? Do you two think that Hawlucha and Froakie and I are gonna be good friends now?" Randall asked. "Why do you ask when the answer is obvious, Randall?" Yuki chuckled.

"The obvious answer is yes! Froakie, Hawlucha, Yuki, and I are gonna be your friends forever!" Ash promised. Froakie and Hawlucha both presented their fists together as Randall grinned.

The three fist bumped each other, as a sign of their friendship. "Wow! Randall! You're not afraid!" "Way to go, Randall!" The girls in the class complimented. "Thanks! Ha ha!" Randall giggled, grinning.

As the group and Sama were getting ready to leave, as Randall promised one thing to the Hawlucha Boy and the Kanto trainer as well.

"When I grow up, I want to become a Pokémon Trainer! And you know what? I want to have a journey with friends like Froakie and Hawlucha!" Randall exclaimed, grinning at his incoming future.

"Awesome! And the next time we see you, we'll all have a battle! One at a time! Okay?" Ash agreed. "Froak kie kie!" "Lucha Haw!" Froakie and Hawlucha smirked, both ready to fight.

"Hawlucha says that he'll be waiting for a great battle, and will expecting you as a challenge someday!" Yuki explained. "Okay! It's a deal! Ash! Yuki!" Randall agreed, shaking both of Yuki and Ash's hands.

Once that was done, Clemont looked at the time, reminding everyone. "Okay... I think it's time for us to go!" Clemont pointed out. "We all owe you so much! Thank you for all your help!" The principal thanked.

"Have a safe journey!" Penelope called out. "Sylveon!" The Fairy Type waved, saying her goodbye as well. "Thanks! Take care, everyone!" Ash called out. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu called in farewell.

"Best wishes until the end!" Yuki called as Serena, Sama, and Bonnie said their farewells as well. When the goodbyes were done, the group and Sama were walking in the route, until they came to a fork in the road.

"Well... I guess this is where I part with you guys." Sama guessed. "Where are you gonna go?" Ash asked, curious. "I'm heading over to Shalour City! To earn my second Badge there!" Sama explained.

"Shalour City, huh? We're going to Cyllage City for our second Gym Badge!" Ash agreed. "Well, in that case, best luck to all of us, right?" Sama asked, offering a hand.

Yuki first took it, then Ash took it. "Just like we promised with Randall, when we meet again, let's have a battle someday." Yuki offered. "Of course! I'll expecting one from the both of you someday!" Sama agreed.

"Chimchar!" "Pan Pancham!" Sama's two Pokémon agreed. "Okay then. Best wishes, Sama." Yuki replied as the group began to say their farewell to the Sinnoh starting trainer as well.

"Bye, Sama!" "Let's see each other again someday!" Bonnie and Serena called out, as Sama waved back, before walking to his path in the route, heading for Shalour City, as the group heads to Cyllage City!

And so, with Randall getting his courage back for Pokémon, and promising both Sama and Randall for a battle, Ash, Yuki, and the others continue their way towards Cyllage City for their next Gym battle!

What will happen on their way again? Stay tuned for some more actions!

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 21: A Mansion to Moan Over!**

**Chapter 22: Espurr to Play Nice On!**

**Chapter 23: A Diet Needed for Chespin!**

**Chapter 24: A Fire Witch VS Fighter!**

**Chapter 25: A Bag Switch!? Pichu is Here!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Oh man... What a rainy night... I'm getting soaked here!

Yuki: Hm? What's with this mansion? It looks as if it had been abandoned for years...

Serena: What if it is a monster that is going to eat us while we're in this mansion!?

Clemont: Y-You can't possibly make that rule out without a scientific explanation, of course!

Bonnie: Hey! Wait up! Are you some kind of a... Pokémon?

Yuki: Hey, Bonnie! Hold on! You can't go off like that alone, you know!... Huh? Who's this?


	21. A Mansion to Moan Over!

**Chapter 21: A Mansion To Moan Over!**

"It's freezing!" Ash stuttered as he was running with the others under the rainy day. "We're getting soaked!" Serena shrieked as Yuki noticed a mansion that was ahead of them.

"Let's duck under that mansion entranceway!" Yuki called out. With that said and agreed, everyone ducked under the roof of the entrance, protecting themselves from the rainy weather as they sighed.

"Ah! Dedenne, stay still!" Bonnie called out as Dedenne seemed to be scared of the rain, squirming in the yellow bag. Everyone began to try losing the water from their hair and their clothes as Serena was most disappointed.

"Whoa..." Serena groaned, seeing the rain. "Man! What a storm!" Ash commented, seeing the heavy rain pouring down. "And it came down so suddenly!" Clemont agreed, drying his backpack.

"I hate thunder..." Bonnie mumbled, a little scared of the rainy day. "Well, weather can change even when you don't want it to change." Yuki reminded, as he was smoothing Hawlucha's wings.

"Hawlucha Haw..." Hawlucha groaned. What especially caused the Wrestling Pokémon to hate rain was that it made his wings wet, making it harder for him to fly in the air.

Suddenly, thunder rumbled, startling Bonnie as she shrieked. She bumped into the mansion door from behind, until she noticed that it was already open. "Let's ask if we can stay here until it stops raining!" Ash suggested.

"I guess that wouldn't be a bad idea. It's better than catching a cold..." Yuki agreed. Then, the four trainers noticed Bonnie going inside the dark mansion. "Guys! The door is open! Yay!" Bonnie giggled.

"Hey, Bonnie! You can't just go in there!" Clemont scolded, but he was ignored as his little sister called around. "Hello! Is anybody home? Hello! Can we stay here until it stops raining?" Bonnie called.

"Dedenne!" Dedenne called out as well. Clemont knocked on the door to see if he could get the person's attention. "Excuse us!" Clemont called. "Is anybody here?" Serena cried.

They didn't notice that a certain Pokémon was looking at them with curiosity.

**[Pokémon: XY Volt Opening (English Subbed)]**

(Pikachu was shown kissing the screen until he ran with Ash, Yuki, and Hawlucha)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying,**_

(A scene showed a route crossroad, with Meowstic and a group of Swirlix floating by)

_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark, **_

(A grassfield where Vivillon, and Swanna groups are flying at a nearby town)

(Underwater where Water Type were swimming underwater)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were seeing a town from a bridge view)

_**Ice, Normal, Fighting, Fire,**_

(A flower field shows; a group of macarons show; a rainy night shows)

_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy,**_

(The group runs along the route in the city)

_**Come on, from here on out it's an adventure and there's only light ahead**_

(Ash's blue background show him and Pikachu sharing sandwiches together)

_**The sky overflows with a rain of tears but we push through**_

(Serena's pink background show her picking a hat, while Fennekin happily runs around her)

_**Come on, use your courage to be better than you were yesterday**_

(Clemont's blue and yellow background show him inventing a machine before it explodes, while Bonnie runs with Dedenne and Chespin)

_**Treasure any encounter  
****  
Heart's pounding, Challenger!**_

(Yuki's green background shows him and Hawlucha sparring with each other, while Litleo, Heracross, and Bulbasaur cheers)

_**Someday, my dream will be fulfilled **_

(Ash, Yuki, Hawlucha, and Pikachu were running only to be blocked by a huge cliff)

(Silhouettes of Kalos Gym Leaders shine in front of the two)

_**That's what you have taught me, and that's why I travel**_

(Serena place a hand on Ash's left shoulder, Clemont places a hand on Yuki's right shoulder, Bonnie grabs the two's hands together)

(The group runs to the field on their journey)

_**As the red ring of bonds spreads far and wide**_

I'll definitely reach out to everyone with this energy I suddenly feel

(Ash and Yuki make attack calls; Pikachu and Hawlucha fights and defeat the trainers' Honedge and Pangoro)

_**This blue planet of ours is shining with hope**_

(Clemont calls for attacks; Chespin uses Pin Missile, and Bunnelby uses Dig)

(Bonnie cheers, as Dedenne uses Thundershock)

(Serena calls for an attack; Fennekin uses Ember)

(Yuki calls for attacks; Bulbasaur uses Razor Leaf, Litleo uses Ember, Heracross uses Megahorn, and Hawlucha uses Karate Chop)

_**The yellow flowers bloom**_

(Ash calls for attacks: Froakie uses Water Pulse, Fletchling uses Steel Wing, as Pikachu uses Electro Ball)

(A Mega Evolution sign appears; Mega Lucario roars, sending huge power)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying**_  
_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark**_  
_**Ice, Normal, Fire, Fighting**_  
_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy**_

(Xerneas and Yvetal appears; The Japanese opening title appears)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie smile at the viewers with their Pokémon)

**(Title opening ends)**

"Is anybody here!?" Ash called out. "Pika!" Pikachu called along. "Can anybody hear us?!" "Hawlucha Haw!" Yuki and Hawlucha called out loud, loud enough for their friends to hear.

"Sorry to totally bother you!" Serena called out. But, no answers came by as it was quiet, leaving the thunderstorm and rain out. "It looks completely deserted..." Serena stated.

"The exteriors of this place are in a very bad shape, so maybe nobody lives here anymore..." Clemont guessed, looking at the dusty corners and cobwebs around the place, frowning.

"Hey! Why don't we stay here for a while?" Bonnie asked, smiling. "I guess..." Clemont agreed, hesitant about the place. "Maybe... But this place kind of gives me the creeps." Serena pointed out.

"Yeah, me too..." Ash agreed. Clemont shivered as Yuki blinked, looking around a more. Bonnie didn't seem so concerned, though. "But, it's better than getting wet!" Bonnie reminded.

"That's true... But, I think I'm feeling that someone is watching us somehow." Yuki explained, narrowing his eyes. "Lucha..." Hawlucha agreed, tapping on walls, investigating the dark area.

"I guess it's because there's no light... Hm... Looks like it's still working..." Clemont stated, trying on one of the lights on the wall, smoothing it to get the cobwebs and dust off of it.

Suddenly, the chandelier lights turned on all of a sudden, much to Ash and Serena's amazement and relief. "That's better, better than the dark!" Yuki admitted, smiling at the light.

"It sure is!" Ash agreed. "Hey, Clemont. Thanks!" Serena thanked. Clemont panicked as he widened his eyes, looking up, then back at his friends. "Ah... But, I didn't turn them on!" Clemont explained.

Serena, Ash, and Yuki all blinked in surprise as the Vaniville girl gulped. "So then..." "Who did?" Serena and Ash asked. "That's kind of weird..." Bonnie stated, cocking her head in curiosity.

"There's no way that the power could've turned back on with the rain storm going on..." Yuki replied, crossing his arms with a frown. "Hawlucha..." Hawlucha replied, looking around.

Clemont yelped as he ran to his four friends. "Ah... Ah! Must be from the sensors!" Clemont stuttered, trying to brighten up the mood. "Sensors?" Ash repeated, confused as he looked around.

"Y-Yeah! Motion detectors! That's why the lights turned on automatically! It may be an old house, but it may be equipped with the latest technology!" Clemont explained, adjusting his glasses.

Yuki narrowed his eyes, as he walked up to the doorway to see if the sensors were around. "I don't think so... I don't see any sensors... Even if I went out, it wouldn't turn back off..." Yuki explained.

Both Ash and Clemont gulped and sweat dropped as Serena made her thought in words. "Maybe... We're inside a haunted house!" Serena stammered. Ash shook with fear as Serena covered her mouth.

"Eek! Did I say that out loud!?" Serena squealed. "If that's the case, why don't we all wait outside until the storm is over." Yuki suggested calmly, showing no fear, as the other boys agreed.

"Y-Yeah... That's a great idea..." Clemont agreed. But then, as if the house had heard them, the doors suddenly slammed close! Everyone gasped as Ash ran to the door, pulling on it.

"Argh! What happened...!?" Ash started as Yuki pulled on the doors as well. "It's no good! We're completely locked in!" Yuki grunted, sweat dropping from his forehead as the others gulped.

"No way!" Serena exclaimed. "Hold on... But, it was just wide open..." Bonnie reminded, confused as the Lumiose Gym Leader made another hypothesis of his own, trying to calm everyone down.

"I-It must be the motion detectors closing, and locking the door after if it's open for a while!" Clemont stammered, waving his arms up and down. Hawlucha sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"With your stammering, I think you're scared." Yuki teased, smirking. "I am not!" Clemont protested as Serena stuttered, making her own hypothesis. "But, why are they still locked?" Serena asked.

"Um... Let me see..." Clemont replied, trying to think of another reason. "M-Maybe this really is a haunted mansion who grabs people and eats them!" Serena stuttered, frightening Clemont this time.

"Eek! Did I actually say that!?" Serena squealed, covering her mouth again. "That's only a guess..." Yuki reminded, sighing with disappointment. Clemont adjusted his glasses again, laughing nervously.

"Yeah! And you should never trust anything that can't be explained with science! This is a huge mansion, so there has to be another way to get out of here!" Clemont reminded, sweat dropping.

"Yep! You're right! Let's go find it!" Ash agreed, grinning. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed as everyone walked around to find another way out of the dark mansion. "This is just nuts. No way this is a haunted place..." Yuki muttered.

"Lucha..." Hawlucha agreed. As everyone was walking around, there was another lightning flash! Everyone looked, seeing an old portrait of an elderly woman!

Ash, Serena, and Clemont screamed, sounding like that they have seen a ghost as they all fell on the ground. The Fighting duo sweat dropped as they both sighed together.

"This is a portrait, not a ghost, you guys..." "Lucha Haw." Yuki and Hawlucha reminded. "Yeah... What Yuki says!" Bonnie agreed, pointing at the elder woman portrait, as the others laughed nervously.

"Maybe that woman owns this place?" Ash wondered, staring up at the portrait. Just then, Serena shuddered, thinking of another haunted thought.

"Ah... Maybe she's not alive, but she's here, anyways! You know what I mean, right!?" Serena explained, shutting her eyes tight. Both Ash and Clemont seemed to have received goosebumps.

"Eek! Did I say that out loud again!?" Serena squealed. The two boys gasped as the Hawlucha Boy sweat dropped again. "Quit with the nonsense. Only a legend would occur sometime." Yuki muttered.

"How come you're so calm!?" Ash yelped. "Pika!?" Pikachu exclaimed.

The Hawlucha Boy blinked and glanced back at the Kanto trainer, before smiling as he explained part of his past. He closed his eyes, explaining for his reason to be quiet and calm.

"Well... during the night, when Hawlucha and I sleep together, many haunted things happen in the forest where we live, but, we faced many Ghost and Dark Types before, so it's no fear to us!" Yuki explained.

"Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha agreed, grinning. "Wow... You must be so brave, then!" Bonnie exclaimed, with her eyes shining brightly. "You live in a forest?" Clemont asked, confused.

"Only since I met Hawlucha. I lived in Aquacorde Town before I met my best friend." Yuki explained. Hawlucha turned red a little, seeing that his human friend considered him a best friend.

Later, everyone was moving upstairs to get to the next floor as they suddenly heard banging noises. "You hear that?" Ash asked, looking around. Pikachu seemed a little scared, too.

"It must be an old grandfather clock ticking away and nothing more! I'm sure of it!" Clemont exclaimed, shaking a little. "A grandfather clock wouldn't tick this loud, even up to here..." Yuki reminded.

Serena sweated as she made up another horrific idea. "Sounds to me like that someone is pounding a stake!" Serena exclaimed. "How come?" Bonnie asked. "To stop a vampire?" Serena guessed.

Yuki sweat dropped as Ash and Clemont shook up with the goosebumps once again, fearing about the 'vampire'. "Eek! My mouth has a mind of its own today!" Serena squealed, covering her mouth.

"Ugh... Enough with the freaky idea, Serena..." Yuki mumbled. "Sorry... I just get the sudden feeling, that's all..." Serena apologized. As the five made it to the second floor, there was another noise!

This time, it seemed to be a group of people screaming. "What is that terrible noise!?" Serena shrieked. Clemont stuttered again, trying to make a simpler reason, trying to brighten up the mood.

"Like I stated earlier! This is an old mansion, so it's drafty! The draft sounds like a whistle, and the whistle sounds like someone screaming! That is actually common, you see!" Clemont explained.

"You're wrong! I have no doubt in my mind that it was someone screaming!" Serena protested. "Yeah... There's no doubt that it wasn't just one, but a group of people screaming!" Yuki agreed.

Serena gulped, looking up. "This mansion must be haunted by the spirit of the lady in that painting!" Serena assured, giving Ash and Pikachu another goosebumps as they shivered.

"Eek! There I go again!" Serena squealed, covering her mouth shut again. "Oh, for crying out loud!" Yuki snapped, getting ticked off with the ridiculous story as he covered his ears.

"Lucha Haw..." Hawlucha groaned as he face palmed with disappointment. "Ghhhoooosssts!" A group of voices screamed out loud. Everyone perked their heads up in alarm, hearing the voices.

"There it is again!" Serena exclaimed, shivering a little. "Let's find a way out!" Ash called out. "Pika!? Pika!" Pikachu called, pointing at another direction. "What is it, Pikachu?" Ash asked.

Everyone then turned to see a figure floating around. It was too dark to see, so everyone could only see its eyes. It seemed to be motioning the trainers and Bonnie to come forward for some reason.

"Huh?... Is that..." Yuki whispered, taking a step. Even Bonnie grew curious to see what it was. Hawlucha blinked, before cocking his head in wonder. Suddenly, the figure began to float away.

"Hey! Wait up!" "Hold it right there!" "Lucha!" Bonnie, Yuki, and Hawlucha called. The three ran after the retreating figure as Serena, Ash, and Clemont gasped at seeing their friends running after the floating figure.

"Hey! Bonnie, wait!" Clemont called, running after his little sister. "Yuki! Hawlucha! Wait up!" "Pika!" Ash and Pikachu called out. The chase started as Yuki, Bonnie, and the Wrestling Pokémon ran after the figure.

"Stop!" "Hold on!" Bonnie and Yuki called. The three kept running after the figure as they ran around the corner. But, as Ash, Serena, and Clemont ran after the three, they gasped.

What they thought their three friends were going, they were gone! It was a dead end. "Hey! Where's Bonnie!?" Clemont gasped. "And where is Yuki and Hawlucha!?" Ash exclaimed.

"I don't see those three anywhere!" Serena called out, looking around. "Bonnie! Yuki! Hawlucha! Where did the three of you go!?" Ash called out. "Heeey!" Clemont shouted, calling for his little sister.

**Meanwhile...**

Somewhere in the mansion, Yuki, Hawlucha, and Bonnie were in a room, where they had caught up to the dark figure. "Hello there! What's your name?" Bonnie asked, smiling at the figure.

"Who are you? Are you some kind... of a Pokémon?" Yuki called out. "Hawlucha Haw?" Hawlucha asked, narrowing his eyes. As the figure turned, it stepped out of the shadows, revealing itself.

It seemed like a pale-gray like fur, with a soft and cute face. Its eyes were purple, with black sclera on them. It was wearing a pendant, as it stared at the newcomers curiously.

"Are you a ghost? Do you live here? Tell us!" Bonnie explained. "Bonnie. That's not a ghost. It's a Pokémon named Espurr, a Psychic Type Pokémon!" Yuki explained, taking out his Pokédex.

_"Espurr, the Restraint Pokémon. Espurr's psychic energy can travel hundreds of feet, blasting everything around it."_ Yuki's Pokédex buzzed. "Wow..." Bonnie replied, amazed at the new Pokémon.

Suddenly, Espurr used Psychic, causing the ball to bounce and land on Bonnie's arms. The little girl caught it in surprise as she threw it back at the wanting Psychic Type, much to its amusement.

Espurr sent the ball right back as Bonnie caught it again. She giggled this time, throwing the ball right back. Espurr purred happily as she threw the ball back with Psychic, this time at Yuki.

"Whoa! Careful!" Yuki chuckled, as he threw the ball back with a smile. Espurr giggled as she threw the ball at Hawlucha this time. The Wrestling Pokémon caught it as he threw the ball back.

Espurr purred even more happily, excited with the game that it's playing with its new friends. "Dedenne!" Dedenne cried out, wanting to play as well. Espurr threw it with Psychic as Dedenne tried to catch it.

The Electric-Fairy Type managed to catch it, but lost its balance! "Eek!" Bonnie squealed as both Hawlucha and Yuki widened their eyes. "Bonnie! Look out!" "Lucha Haw!" Yuki and Hawlucha called.

Espurr gasped as it used Psychic again, saving the little ones from falling as well. "Wow! How did we do that!?" Bonnie asked, surprised. "That was Espurr's Psychic. It had saved you both! Right?" Yuki asked.

"Espurr purr purr purr!" Espurr purred happily, nodding. "Wow, thanks!" Bonnie exclaimed. Yuki then widened his eyes, remembering something.

"Hold on... Are you the Pokémon that turned on all the lights and shut the doors tight?" Yuki asked. "Purr purr!" Espurr cried out happily. "Why did you do that?" Bonnie asked, confused.

Espurr then began to walk to another door, which it could lead to another room. "What's in there?" Yuki asked, pushing the door open gently. He grew in awe, with Hawlucha blinking.

It seemed to be the toys room, where lots of playful toys were around. There was a wooden Ponyta figure to ride on, a kiddie slide, and lots of playing blocks around.

"Is this... your entertainment room?" Yuki asked, amazed. "Purr purr!" Espurr nodded happily, cuddling on the Hawlucha Boy's leg, causing Yuki to smile as Hawlucha smirked.

With the lights turned on, and the doors shut, it had turned out that the ones doing all of this was a Psychic Type Pokémon named Espurr, who seemed to be lonely, asking Bonnie and Yuki to play with it.

But, will the others find them and will Bonnie, Yuki, and Hawlucha find them? Stay tuned for some more.

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Tackle, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 22: Espurr To Play Nice On!**

**Chapter 23: A Diet Needed for Chespin!**

**Chapter 24: A Fire Witch VS Fighter!**

**Chapter 25: A Bag Switch!? Pichu is Here!**

**Chapter 26: Befriend the Opposite! Find Dedenne!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Bonnie: Oh wow! Yuki, this Pokémon is really nice and cute as well!

Yuki: Espurr... Heh, I guess I can't argue with the cute part. Is this... your home, Espurr?

Meowth: Espurr is saying that it wanted to try to give the pendant back to the owner... but, she was already gone...

Serena: That's so sad... Could that owner be the woman on the portrait here?

James: Well, it seems we have found a new target to help us conquer Kalos! Capture Espurr!

Ash: No way! Not on my watch, Team Rocket!


	22. Espurr to Play Nice On!

**Chapter 22: Espurr To Play Nice On!**

Last time on "Pokémon Kalos Journey", the four trainers and Bonnie were in a middle of a rainstorm, where they decided to take shelter under the mansion until the rain had stopped.

As they were in, though, they find themselves in an awkward and frightening situation as the doors were locked, trapping the group inside, as both Yuki and Bonnie didn't seem to be scared.

The group searched high and low to see if there was any other way out, until they heard some noises and screaming, as Serena brought out creepy rumors and thoughts about the mansion.

Ash and Clemont seemed to not like the idea as they were frightened, leaving Yuki not impressed with the two's cowardice. As they were investigating the mansion further, they spotted a floating creature.

Before anyone else could react, Yuki, Hawlucha, Bonnie, and Dedenne all ran after the figure as Ash, Pikachu, Serena, and Clemont tried to go after them, only to meet in a dead end.

At the other side of the room, though, what the Hawlucha Boy and Bonnie discovered was, that the one that locked them in the mansion was the Psychic Type Pokémon, Espurr.

Espurr then began to walk to another door, which it could lead to another room. "What's in there?" Yuki asked, pushing the door open gently. He grew in awe, with Hawlucha blinking.

It seemed to be the toys room, where lots of playful toys were around. There was a wooden Ponyta figure to ride on, a kiddie slide, and lots of playing blocks around.

"Is this... your entertainment room?" Yuki asked, amazed. "Purr purr!" Espurr nodded happily, cuddling on the Hawlucha Boy's leg, causing Yuki to smile as Hawlucha smirked.

With the lights turned on, and the doors shut, it had turned out that the ones doing all of this was a Psychic Type Pokémon named Espurr, who seemed to be lonely, asking Bonnie and Yuki to play with it.

_"Could this be it...? Espurr was so lonely that it wanted someone to play with?..."_ Yuki thought, thinking it over. Both Bonnie and Dedenne were amazed as Espurr purred happily at them.

It first slid down the slide, happily enjoying it. "Oh! Ha ha ha!" Bonnie giggled as she and Dedenne tried on the slide, sliding down, much to their happiness and to Yuki's amusement.

"Well... At least some of us are having fun..." Yuki chuckled, smiling at the smiles of Espurr, Bonnie, and Dedenne. "Es Espurr!" Espurr pointed at the wooden Ponyta figure, smiling happily.

Bonnie nodded happily with agreement. "Hee hee! Okay!" Bonnie giggled. She scooped up the two little Pokémon and placed them on the Ponyta figure.

"Ride the Ponyta! Ride the Ponyta!" Bonnie giggled. She rocked the wooden figure, much to the little ones' happiness. "They're having a lot of fun, aren't they, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked.

He nudged the Fighting Type on the shoulder with a grin as the Wrestling Pokémon smirked back. "Hawlucha Haw." Hawlucha agreed. Suddenly, the Ponyta figure started to tip over.

The Fighting duo widened their eyes as both Dedenne and Espurr were starting to fall! "Ah! Dedenne! Espurr!" "No!" Bonnie and Yuki gasped. The Hawlucha Boy dove, catching Espurr.

Hawlucha flew over, catching Dedenne on his back. "Sorry... It fell over." Bonnie apologized to the two, feeling bad and sorry at the moment. Yuki wiped the sweat of off his forehead.

The Psychic Type smiled as she nodded at the Hawlucha Boy in thanks as it used Psychic, lifting the wooden Ponyta ride back into place. "Wow! So, it was you!" Bonnie giggled.

"Espurr purr!" Espurr purred happily with a happy nod. "Dedenne ne?" Dedenne asked, pointing at the pendant on Espurr's neck. Espurr blinked, before looking down at its pendant.

As the Psychic Type looked at its pendant, everyone else in the play room looked at it as well, seeing it around Espurr's neck. "That's a pretty pendant!" Bonnie complimented, smiling.

Espurr blinked, before it jumped off the wooden Ponyta. It pointed at another door up ahead, calling to the two humans and the two Pokémon friends. "Es Espurr!" Espurr cried out.

Bonnie cocked her head in confusion, as Yuki blinked, realizing the Psychic Type's calling. "Espurr is trying to tell us something..." Yuki explained as he narrowed his eyes, thinking.

Espurr nodded as it led the two humans and Pokémon to another room that held the same portrait like downstairs. "Hey... That's the same portrait from downstairs... Is this... a copy?" Yuki asked.

"Lucha Haw?" Hawlucha asked. Espurr floated over, using her Psychic attack to lift herself up. It pointed at the woman on the portrait, gesturing towards the same pendant she was wearing like itself.

"Es Espurr!" Espurr explained, pointing at its pendant, as Bonnie looked back at the portrait, then the Pokémon. "It's the same pendant! But, why?" Bonnie asked, confused.

"Could that pendant... might've belonged to that elder woman here? Was there a chance... that she gave it to you as a gift?" Yuki asked, thinking once again. Espurr nodded, then shook its head.

"I'm sorry... but, I can't understand of what you're saying!" Bonnie explained, frowning a little. "Espurr purr!" Espurr explained, trying to get the two humans to understand.

"So... It belonged to the woman... but it wasn't a gift for you... Then, what was it? Was she... passing it onto you?" Yuki asked, frowning once again. Before anyone else could react, there were familiar voices.

"Bonnie!" "Hey, Yuki!" Clemont and Ash's voice called out. The two turned to see their three friends running towards them as they all entered the room. "Oh! There you are! Hi!" Bonnie greeted.

"Where were you three? I thought you were running behind us?" Yuki asked, narrowing his eyes. "Hawlucha Haw." Hawlucha agreed. "Still, thank goodness the two of you are safe!" Serena sighed.

Clemont ran over, holding his little sister. "Look, Bonnie. You should never, EVER, run off like that! You have no idea how worried we have been for both you and Yuki!" Clemont scolded.

"I'm so sorry..." Bonnie apologized. "I'm sorry as well... We caused you three to panic a lot, did we?" Yuki apologized, closing his eyes with a sigh. "Lucha..." Hawlucha replied, saying his sorry as well.

"You see... We were playing with that Pokémon!" Bonnie explained, pointing at Espurr. "I knew it! It was Espurr that's been causing the doors to lock!" Clemont explained, looking up.

"Espurr es... Purr Espurr!" Espurr explained, gesturing at the pendant and pointing at the elderly woman in the portrait. "It's trying to tell us something, but we can't figure out what!" Bonnie explained.

"One thing we know, is that the pendant Espurr is wearing used to belong to a woman on the portrait here... But... right now, it's just a blank of cards now..." Yuki explained, frowning.

"We were too panicked to think, but now it makes all sense." A familiar woman's voice explained. Everyone turned to see a group of familiar people coming into the doorway.

It was Team Rocket! They seemed to have been trapped in the mansion by Espurr as well. "Team Rocket?" Ash asked, confused.

"Let's put that aside. None of us are going to be able to get out of here unless we figure out what Espurr wants from us!" James reminded. "The man makes sense. Translate, please." Jessie sighed.

She glanced at Meowth, who translated Espurr's beginning of its story. "Basically, Espurr says its wants to return the pendant to the lady in the painting!" Meowth translated, glancing at Espurr.

Espurr then continued its story, pointing at the woman in the portrait. "It says that the lady took really good care of Espurr!" Meowth translated as Espurr began to remember its memories.

_Flashback_

_Espurr was near a nice house, where the elderly woman with the pendant approached it with some Pokémon food. The woman smiled at Espurr, looking very kind with the Pokémon._

_"For you." The woman explained. Espurr then stepped up, taking a piece of a Pokémon food. "Good, huh? Ha ha ha..." The woman chuckled with a kind smile. "She gave it some food..." Meowth started._

_The next memory went to where the woman threw the same blue ball to the little Psychic Type. "Here." The woman chuckled, as she threw the ball at Espurr, who used Psychic._

_It curiously raised the ball up and down. After for a while, it seemed to be happy and amused with the round object. "Do you like it?" The woman asked kindly with a soothing smile._

_"She gave it a ball..." Meowth continued. Another memory leapt to where Espurr was happily sliding down on a slide from before in the play room. _

_"I used to play with my children and grandchildren, too!" The woman chuckled. With that said, the two had fun together for a long time with other toys and activities to play around with._

_"They used to play together all the time!" Meowth continued once again. Then, the memory transferred to where the woman was breathing weakly and hard, as she held onto the stairs railing._

_"Purr? Espurr?" Espurr asked, feeling concerned for the elder woman. "I'm sorry... I'm alright..." The woman assured. But, she knew that soon, there's a time when she will pass away._

_"My dear pendant... It means so much to me... It was a gift from my husband..." The woman explained. She took the pendant off from her neck as she attached it around Espurr's neck._

_The little Psychic Type beamed at it, happy with the shine on it. "Do you like it? In that case, you may hold onto it for a while!" The woman chuckled, petting the Psychic Type._

_It was evening as Espurr waved goodbye to the elder woman. "Purr Espurr!" Espurr called, waving goodbye. The woman smiled as she waved goodbye back, as the Psychic Type ran back to the woods._

_"Come visit again anytime!" The woman called as Espurr disappeared into the woods. Finally, the memory turned to a sorrowful ending as it showed Espurr opening the mansion door._

_It had the pendant around its neck with a flower in its paw. "Es Espurr!" Espurr called out, calling for the woman. But, there was no answer... And there was no one coming to greet it._

_It searched around the mansion, searching for the woman, but ended up finding no one around. It dropped the flower, giving up sadly on the search for the one who took care of her._

_"Then, one day, it came to return her beautiful pendant... But, she was gone..." Meowth finished as the memory faded away, shifting back to reality._

_Flashback End_

The group were sad, feeling sorry for the Restraint Pokémon. "I see... So, it was waiting for her..." Ash replied, frowning. "So it could return her pendant..." Serena added, frowning along.

"I guess so... But, to give something away so precious to you... She must've adored you a lot to give her special pendant to you." Yuki pointed out, smiling sadly at the Psychic Type.

"Espurr purr es!" Espurr explained, pointing at the portrait once again. "But now, Espurr wants to find out where the old lady went off to!" Meowth translated, as the Psychic Type purred sadly.

"I'm afraid that any of us wouldn't know..." "Pika Pika." Ash and Pikachu admitted sadly. "Hey, Ash. Yuki. Maybe we could find out!" Clemont suggested. "That's one thing we can do." Yuki agreed.

"That's a great idea!" Serena agreed along. But, the evil trio stood up, facing the trainers and Espurr. "I don't think we have time for this foolishness." Jessie insulted, narrowing her eyes.

"We know the quickest way out of here!" Meowth smirked. "And that is, to catch Espurr!" James sneered as he and Jessie took out a Pokéball. "What are you doing!?" Ash snapped angrily.

"If you intend a Pokémon battle here, you could end up destroying this room, and part of the mansion!" Yuki yelled. "Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha called out. The trio ignored Yuki as they summoned their Pokémon.

"Pumpkaboo, let's go!" Jessie shouted, summoning her Grass and Ghost Type Pokémon. "Okay, Inkay!" James called, as he summoned his Pokémon for a battle.

"Now, Pumpkaboo! Leech Seed!" Jessie called. Pumpkaboo shot several seeds on top of the fireplace. Suddenly, roots appeared, tangling Espurr as it began to drain its powers!

Espurr yelled in pain, feeling its energy being drained by the uncalled attack. "Espurr!" "No!" Ash and Yuki gasped. This time, James took his turn for an attack. "Okay, Psybeam, Inkay! And make it a good day!" James shouted.

Inkay turned, shooting the Psychic Type attack. "Hawlucha, quick! Use Focus Blast!" Yuki called. Hawlucha leapt in the air, launching a Focus Blast to counter the Psybeam attack.

The two moves collided and exploded as Jessie and James grew irritated. "We don't need any twerp interference!" Jessie snapped angrily. "I want you all to try and free Espurr quick as you can." Yuki whispered.

"Okay... Got it!" Ash agreed. With that said, Ash, Bonnie, Serena, and Clemont tugged on the roots, trying to free Espurr. Being drained of energy, Espurr was unable to use Psychic to help.

"Argh! No you don't! Pumpkaboo! Use Shadow Ball!" Jessie called. "Intercept with Aerial Ace, Hawlucha! Then, hit it at the opponent!" Yuki shouted, glaring at the evil trio dirtily.

The Wrestling Pokémon first posed, before slashing the Shadow Ball apart, and causing the attack to hit Pumpkaboo! The Ghost Type yelled in pain as it was sent to the ground, hard.

"Inkay! Use Tackle!" James called. The Psychic-Dark Type shot forward, aiming its move at Hawlucha again. "Karate Chop, Hawlucha! Then, use Flying Press on the opponent again!" Yuki ordered.

Hawlucha flew in the air, slamming the Karate Chop attack at Inkay, causing it to slam on the ground. "Now, finish it with a Flying Press!" Yuki shouted, as he glared at the enemies.

Hawlucha posed again before flying in the air as he slammed his chest on Inkay, knocking it out. "Ah! Inkay!" James gasped, seeing in horror that his Pokémon was defeated.

This time, Meowth gave it a shot. "Yeah!? See how you like with my Fury Swipes!" Meowth yelled, unsheathing his claws as he charged at Hawlucha, who got ready to counterattack.

But, the evil Normal Type suddenly stopped, panicking. "Ah! What's this!?" Meowth gasped as he was being raised to the air. Jessie and James were floating in the air as well suddenly.

Both Yuki and Hawlucha turned to see Espurr using Psychic to immobilize the evil trio! "Huh!? What's going on!?" Jessie shrieked as Espurr used Psychic to open the window where it threw them out!

But, for some strange reason, Team Rocket seemed to be celebrating for getting out of the mansion as they cheered while blasting off. "GUESS... WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" Team Rocket screamed.

The evil trio disappeared out of sight into the coming blue sky as the rain had stopped. Once they were gone, everyone turned to the Restraint Pokémon. "Espurr, that was great!" Bonnie complimented.

"I can't believe that you got us out of that jam!" Ash exclaimed as he turned to the Hawlucha Boy and his partner. "Thanks for the help, Yuki! You too, Hawlucha!" Ash thanked with a wink.

Yuki smiled lightly as he gave a thumbs up to the Kanto trainer. Hawlucha grinned and nodded with proudness. Just then, as the compliments were done, Espurr pointed at the portrait again.

"Purr Espurr..." Espurr explained, requesting the group. "Just leave finding the lady to us!" Ash assured. Yuki frowned, recalling that the mansion looked old when they had arrived.

_"If it had been for days, or for weeks... and if Espurr was waiting here for a long time... Then, there's only one solution of where the woman is..."_ Yuki thought as he sighed, feeling gloomy.

"I wonder if that woman here lived all by herself?" Clemont asked, breaking the Hawlucha Boy out of his thoughts. Ash started to think, until another voice came out of nowhere.

"Are you talking about Grandma Lacy?" The woman asked. Everyone turned to see a young woman standing at the doorway. "Uh... Grandma Lacy?" Ash repeated, confused.

"That's her in that painting. She's my grandmother." The woman explained. "Wow... She's your grandmother?" Clemont asked, amazed. "Hold on... You wouldn't mean to say that this mansion..." Yuki started.

"That's right! I own this place! My name is Elise! And who might you all be?" Elise asked, curious to see kids in her mansion. So, the group introduced themselves and explained about their situation.

Elise sat on the table, glancing at Espurr. "I see... You knew my grandmother, then." Elise concluded, seeing the Restraint Pokémon and the portrait. "I'm sorry we entered your house without permission." Ash apologized.

"Hm hm! No problem! I'm glad that you all were able to get out of the rain. Grandma Lacy always play with me when I come here, too, just like with you, Espurr!" Elise chuckled.

"Purr purr Espurr!" Espurr purred happily with nods. Yuki bit his lips, realizing that the tragic news could cause the Psychic Type's smile to disappear quickly. Ash stepped up, asking the question.

"Where is your Grandma Lacy, now?" Ash asked, concerned. Elise got up from the table, giving a sigh and a frown. "I'm afraid she passed away." Elise answered, feeling regretful.

Everyone was shocked at the answer and the news as Espurr purred sadly. It knew that it never had the chance to return the pendant. Bonnie and Serena frowned, not knowing what to say.

"We're sorry to hear that..." Yuki apologized, frowning. "Hawlucha..." Hawlucha agreed with a shake of his head. Just then, Espurr used Psychic, causing the pendant to go to Elise's hands.

Elise blinked in surprise as she turned to see the Restraint Pokémon looking at her. "Espurr Espurr purr..." Espurr explained, frowning. "Espurr wanted to return that pendant to your grandma..." Ash explained.

"Oh... Thank you, Espurr... You see, this was my grandmother's favorite piece of jewelry. Also, this old house was scheduled to be torn down soon... It's in a pretty bad condition, so I came to see how it was." Elise explained.

She turned to the group, smiling with her decision. "But, you know... After seeing this, after meeting all of you, I think I've changed my mind! I'm going to renovate this place!" Elise explained.

"Purr?" Espurr asked, curious. "Now, don't worry! Grandma Lacy's portrait will stay the same! And, when it's all finished, I'm going to move in! And, you know what? I'd be thrilled if you come and play!" Elise giggled.

That brought the smile back to the Psychic Type's face as Elise made another suggestion.

"I know! Do you want me to take you to the cemetery? You can tell Grandma Lacy all about her pendant, and say goodbye..." Elise explained. "Espurr..." Espurr replied with a nod.

The group watched, seeing Espurr making its decision with Elise.

Later, everyone was outside as Elise and Espurr were in Elise's car, as the group came to say their farewell to them. "I'm sure you're going to take good care of Espurr, right?" Ash asked.

"Of course! I think Espurr and I will be good friends!" Elise assured. "Take care, okay?" Bonnie asked. "Espurr!" Espurr cried out happily. "Well, in that case, best wishes in all times, Espurr." Yuki said.

"Lucha!" Hawlucha called out, saying his farewell as well. "Purr purr!" Espurr giggled, waving goodbye to the group as Elise started the car, driving away. The group waved until the red car had disappeared out of sight.

A few minutes later, the group was back on the road, heading for Cyllage City for Ash and Yuki's second Gym Badge. "Okay... Cyllage City, here we come!" Ash called out, pumped up.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu shouted out as well. Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all watched, seeing their Kanto friend energized. "That goes for us too, Hawlucha. Okay?" Yuki asked. "Lucha!" Hawlucha agreed.

With their farewells to Elise and Espurr, the four trainers and Bonnie continue their way to head for Cyllage City for Ash and Yuki's second Gym battle! What other obstacles will they face next?

Stay tuned for some more Pokémon actions and stories!

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 23: A Diet Needed for Chespin!**

**Chapter 24: A Fire Witch VS Fighter!**

**Chapter 25: A Bag Switch!? Pichu is Here!**

**Chapter 26: Befriend the Opposite! Find Dedenne!**

**Chapter 27: A Ninja Against Martial Arts!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Clemont: Alright then! Dinner is served... Huh!? NO, Chespin! Not the last macaron!

Yuki: Chespin looks a bit more clumsier and fat than it was before... Not to mention its eating habits...

Ash: Why don't we test Chespin out in a battle? It might bring him up to shape!

Bonnie: Me too! I want my Dedenne to battle Chespin!

Clemont: I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to train Chespin out...

Yuki: Face it, Clemont. Chespin will never be a good battler if it keeps stuffing itself with too much food.


	23. A Diet Needed for Chespin!

**Chapter 23: A Diet Needed for Chespin!**

"If we don't hurry, we won't be able to get to the Pokémon Center before the sun sets!" Serena complained. The Vaniville girl looked up to see the pink and orange sky with the sunset going on.

The group were on their way to Cyllage City for Ash and Yuki's second Gym Badge for them to enter the Kalos League. Serena, however, seemed to want to get to the Center as fast as they can.

But, none of the others seemed to be concerned about the sunset. "Then, we can just campout! No big deal!" Ash suggested. The suggestion left Serena to gulp and step back in surprise.

"Camp out? Here!?" Serena shrieked a little. Everyone turned to the Vaniville girl as Yuki stepped up. "Is something wrong, Serena?" "Lucha?" Yuki and Hawlucha asked, confused.

"Don't you have your gear?" Clemont asked. Serena laughed nervously a little, before explaining. "Well... Actually, my mom told me this might happen, but I really never considered that I have to sleep outside for real!" Serena admitted.

The Hawlucha Boy and his Fighting partner sweat dropped at that reason as Yuki face palmed. "You didn't think that we'd always be staying at Centers for the night, did you?" Yuki asked.

"Well... uh..." Serena stammered as the Gym Leader made his reminder. "I have an extra sleeping bag with me! You could use it if you like!" Clemont reminded the Vaniville girl.

"And you can sleep with me in my tent!" Bonnie explained. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed with a smile. Yuki then looked up, sighing. "Something wrong, Yu?" Ash asked, blinking in confusion.

"Well... Similar to Serena... I forgot that I never slept in a tent before..." Yuki explained, flushing red a little. "Never?" Clemont asked, surprised. Hawlucha tapped his foot with a sigh.

"Y-Yeah... When I sleep, I always sleep in the outside, with Hawlucha, that is..." Yuki explained, blushing, seeing that he finally admitted to this. The others giggled at this for the sudden reveal.

Later, the sky turned dark night with stars. Everyone was already set for camping and for dinner. "Everybody all ready for a big dinner?" Ash asked, looking at all of their Pokémon.

All of his, Yuki's, Clemont's, and Serena's Pokémon cried out their calls, saying that they were ready for their big meal. At the table, Serena widened her eyes in amazement of Clemont's cooked food.

There were plenty of finger sandwiches, a big spaghetti, with some orange juices to drink with. "Wow! This is so amazing! Everything here looks so delicious!" Serena exclaimed with shining eyes.

Clemont chuckled to himself, starting the meal. "Help yourselves. Bon appetit!" Clemont declared. With that said, everyone and the Pokémon began devouring and chewing on their meal.

Ash tasted the spaghetti as he smirked. "That's great! You're an amazing cook, Clemont!" Ash complimented. The Lumiose Gym Leader chuckled nervously, feeling thankful and embarrassed for.

"Ha ha... Thanks. Cooking is like inventing! Make a plan, gather up all the materials, and then go! Yuki also helped out, so it's no big deal!" Clemont explained, glancing at the Hawlucha Boy.

"You can cook, Yuki?" Ash asked, amazed. The Hawlucha Boy blinked in surprise, before looking away. "Clemont... You just had to include me in the cooking, did you..." Yuki grumbled.

The others laughed as Bonnie declared that both her big brother and Yuki were the chefs of the group. Later, the food were all eaten up, especially with the Pokémon food for the Pokémon.

"Mm... That was so great! Thanks so much, Clemont! Yuki!" Serena thanked. "Oh... yeah... Am I stuffed!" Ash chuckled with a grin. "Pika..." "Lucha..." Pikachu and Hawlucha agreed.

Serena got up, carrying her macaron basket. "Now, who has room for dessert? Yesterday, when we were in the Pokémon Center, I made macarons!" Serena called out, carrying the basket to the table.

"Nobody makes them better than you do!" Clemont complimented. "I want one!" "I would like a bite as well!" Ash and Yuki called out together. "I'll get the tea!" Clemont declared.

To the Pokémon, Heracross and Bunnelby were carrying the bowls of the Pokémon food. But, for some reason, as they looked, Chespin was nowhere to be seen! "Bun?" Bunnelby asked.

"Hera..." Heracross answered, shrugging his shoulders with worry. Back at the group, Clemont poured in some hot tea, smiling. "Macarons and tea... A perfect combination!" Clemont replied.

Yuki took the macaron basket as all the other Pokémon watched to see what would happen. "Okay... Let's see the colors!" Yuki joked as he opened the basket. That led everyone to surprise, except Serena.

"Huh... What!? Serena, are you sure you made macarons yesterday?" Yuki asked, confused and shocked. "Yeah! Why do you ask?- HUH!?" Serena started, then gasped to see the empty basket.

Everyone yelled in surprise, seeing that the basket was empty. "Oh no!" Serena gasped, looking around. "Oh man..." "Aw..." Ash and Bonnie groaned, depressed of the no dessert thing.

"That's so weird! Did I drop them!?" Serena asked, desperate. Suddenly, Hawlucha spotted the tricky Grass Type at a nearby rock. "Lucha! Hawlucha!" Hawlucha pointed out.

"What... Ah! YOU! Chespin!?" Yuki started, then snapped. Everyone turned to see the Grass Type snacking on all of Serena's macarons! It seemed to be getting fatter than before.

"What!? Hey, Chespin! Did you take all the macarons again!?" Clemont scolded. Chespin turned, grinning. It started to take a bite of the last dessert piece. "Hold it right there!" Yuki yelled.

"Chespin! You can't eat them all!" Clemont scolded. The two boys dove, trying to catch the sneaky Grass Type, who jumped out of the way. It ran away, but as it ran, it tripped on a rock!

He smacked into Clemont's tent, knocking it down. As he was sent back to the ground, he swallowed up the last macaron. "THAT WAS THE LAST MACARON!" Clemont exclaimed in shock.

"That little... Ugh!" Yuki groaned, face palming in disappointment and annoyance. "Hawlucha cha..." Hawlucha grumbled, face palming like his friend and trainer.

**[Pokémon: XY Volt Opening (English Subbed)]**

(Pikachu was shown kissing the screen until he ran with Ash, Yuki, and Hawlucha)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying,**_

(A scene showed a route crossroad, with Meowstic and a group of Swirlix floating by)

_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark, **_

(A grassfield where Vivillon, and Swanna groups are flying at a nearby town)

(Underwater where Water Type were swimming underwater)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were seeing a town from a bridge view)

_**Ice, Normal, Fighting, Fire,**_

(A flower field shows; a group of macarons show; a rainy night shows)

_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy,**_

(The group runs along the route in the city)

_**Come on, from here on out it's an adventure and there's only light ahead**_

(Ash's blue background show him and Pikachu sharing sandwiches together)

_**The sky overflows with a rain of tears but we push through**_

(Serena's pink background show her picking a hat, while Fennekin happily runs around her)

_**Come on, use your courage to be better than you were yesterday**_

(Clemont's blue and yellow background show him inventing a machine before it explodes, while Bonnie runs with Dedenne and Chespin)

_**Treasure any encounter  
****  
Heart's pounding, Challenger!**_

(Yuki's green background shows him and Hawlucha sparring with each other, while Litleo, Heracross, and Bulbasaur cheers)

_**Someday, my dream will be fulfilled **_

(Ash, Yuki, Hawlucha, and Pikachu were running only to be blocked by a huge cliff)

(Silhouettes of Kalos Gym Leaders shine in front of the two)

_**That's what you have taught me, and that's why I travel**_

(Serena place a hand on Ash's left shoulder, Clemont places a hand on Yuki's right shoulder, Bonnie grabs the two's hands together)

(The group runs to the field on their journey)

_**As the red ring of bonds spreads far and wide**_

I'll definitely reach out to everyone with this energy I suddenly feel

(Ash and Yuki make attack calls; Pikachu and Hawlucha fights and defeat the trainers' Honedge and Pangoro)

_**This blue planet of ours is shining with hope**_

(Clemont calls for attacks; Chespin uses Pin Missile, and Bunnelby uses Dig)

(Bonnie cheers, as Dedenne uses Thundershock)

(Serena calls for an attack; Fennekin uses Ember)

(Yuki calls for attacks; Bulbasaur uses Razor Leaf, Litleo uses Ember, Heracross uses Megahorn, and Hawlucha uses Karate Chop)

_**The yellow flowers bloom**_

(Ash calls for attacks: Froakie uses Water Pulse, Fletchling uses Steel Wing, as Pikachu uses Electro Ball)

(A Mega Evolution sign appears; Mega Lucario roars, sending huge power)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying**_  
_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark**_  
_**Ice, Normal, Fire, Fighting**_  
_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy**_

(Xerneas and Yvetal appears; The Japanese opening title appears)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie smile at the viewers with their Pokémon)

**(Title opening ends)**

"On behalf of Chespin, I sincerely apologize..." Clemont apologized, sighing in disappointment. Ash and Yuki were both setting Clemont's tent back to normal as they looked at the Gym Leader with smiles.

"Just forget about it, Clemont." Ash reminded. "It wasn't that much big of a deal..." Yuki nervously chuckled, realizing how much trouble that Chespin has made for the group for stealing macarons.

"Maybe... But, I really wanted a macaron..." Bonnie sighed. "Dedenne..." Dedenne sighed, feeling disappointed of not getting to taste the tasty snack. Serena smiled, looking at her friends.

"Don't worry! I can always make some more!" Serena promised. Chespin, not feeling ashamed, used a stick as a toothpick as he sighed happily from the heavy meal he had for the night.

"Okay! Now that we're all set, how about a Pokémon battle?" Ash asked, glancing at both Yuki and Clemont. "Okay! This could be an exercise for the Cyllage Gym coming up." Yuki agreed.

"Sounds good to me! Hey, Chespin! Let's battle and get some exercise!" Clemont explained, looking at his now fat looking Grass Type. "Chespin pin..." Chespin sighed, getting up.

The Hawlucha Boy narrowed his eyes as Hawlucha smirked, seeing how easy the battle for him and Chespin might be going to go. So, the three boys prepared for a battle together.

"Okay, Ash. Clemont and I will battle first! It'll be a one on one battle!" Yuki declared as he and Hawlucha got ready. "Alright then! Let's go, Chespin!" Clemont called out. "Pin!" Chespin agreed.

"Okay, Hawlucha! Let's get going!" Yuki called. "Haw cha cha!" Hawlucha agreed with a grin.

**Clemont: Chespin VS Yuki: Hawlucha**

"We'll go first! Hawlucha, use Focus Blast!" Yuki called. Hawlucha flew in the air, preparing to launch a Focus Blast attack at the fat Grass Type, who got ready to counterattack.

The Focus Blast was launched as Clemont gave his order. "Now, use Pin Missile!" Clemont called. Chespin used the Bug Type move, but it was a bit slower than when it used Pin Missile before.

Focus Blast had no problem destroying Pin Missile as it exploded on the Spiny Nut Pokémon! Chespin yelled in pain as he was sent skidding on his back. Clemont gasped in surprise at this.

"Hold on... Chespin can use moves much faster than that!" Serena reminded, blinking in confusion. "I think its tummy is full..." Bonnie guessed, seeing the lurching belly of the Grass Type.

"Hm... Maybe it ate too much?" Ash asked, confused. "Pika?" Pikachu asked. "Now, Chespin! Use Tackle!" Clemont called. Chespin ran, but it looked like more he was stomping to attack.

"Counter with Aerial Ace, Hawlucha!" Yuki called. The Wrestling Pokémon zipped in the air, aiming to slash Chespin. "Ah! Dodge, Chespin!" Clemont yelped, seeing the speedy attack.

Chespin tried to dodge, but the Aerial Ace caught it, hitting the Spiny Nut Pokémon on the face, slamming it to the ground. "Chespin, no!" Clemont called out. But, as the smoke cleared, the Grass Type was groaning.

It had swirls in its eyes, seeing that it had lost the battle. "Stop! This battle is over! Yuki and Hawlucha wins this one!" Serena declared, stopping the battle.

**Winner: Yuki**

**Yuki: 1 Win**

**Clemont: 0 Wins**

**Ash: 0 Wins**

"I guess Hawlucha won the battle, but... it didn't really seem like battling..." Yuki sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Hawlucha Haw..." Hawlucha sighed, not impressed with the fat Pokémon.

"Huh... Being a Gym Leader and losing like this is kind of embarrassing." Clemont admitted. "Okay, Ash. How about you and me next?" Yuki asked, glancing at the Kanto trainer.

"Oh yeah! We're ready!" Ash agreed. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed, determined to win. So, the next battle was to set as Ash was going to battle the Hawlucha Boy. Ash had Pikachu, while Yuki had Hawlucha.

"Are you ready? Because we're not going to hold back!" Yuki called out. "Lucha." Hawlucha smirked, motioning the Electric Type to bring it on as Pikachu grinned, ready to battle.

**Ash: Pikachu VS Yuki: Hawlucha**

"Okay! Let's go! Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Ash called. Pikachu shot towards Hawlucha with the fast attack. "Block it with Karate Chop, Hawlucha!" Yuki called. The Wrestling Pokémon got ready with its attack.

It then used Karate Chop, repelling the Quick Attack. "Ah!" Ash gasped. Even the Electric Type was surprised as he skidded back to Ash. "Now, Hawlucha! Use Focus Blast!" Yuki called.

Hawlucha flew in the air, ready to shoot the Fighting Type attack. "Oh no you don't! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash called. Pikachu shot in the air, launching a Thunderbolt at Hawlucha.

"Now! Send it at Pikachu!" Yuki called out. Hawlucha dodged the Electric Type attack as he launched the Focus Blast at the Electric Type. "Use Iron Tail!" Ash called, seeing the incoming attack.

Pikachu leapt in the air, splitting Focus Blast in half. But, right at the moment, Hawlucha was right in front of Pikachu! "What!?" "Pika!?" Ash and Pikachu gasped, seeing the sudden coming.

"Whoa! That Focus Blast was only a distraction for Hawlucha to get close!" Serena pointed out. "Now! Flying Press!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha dove, smashing Pikachu to the ground with its signature move.

"Pikachu!" Ash gasped. The smoke passed as the Electric Type shook its fur, glaring back at the Wrestling Pokémon. "Now, use Karate Chop to strike!" Yuki called.

Hawlucha posed, before diving at Pikachu, using multiple Karate Chop attacks, as it flew from one side to another. "Hang in there, Pikachu! And use Electro Ball!" Ash called out, pumping his fist.

The Electric Type regained its balance as he launched the powerful Electro Ball at Hawlucha, who took the hit in a direct blow! Hawlucha grunted in pain as he slammed to the ground.

"No!" Yuki gasped. But, to his relief, the Wrestling Pokémon recovered, getting up, and still ready for another fight. "Pikachu! Hawlucha! Keep on going, you two!" "Dedenne!" Bonnie and Dedenne cheered.

"Now, use Thunderbolt!" "Focus Blast, again!" The two boys called out. Thunderbolt and the Focus Blast attack collided together, creating an explosion. At that, the Kanto trainer got ready.

"Now, use Iron Tail!" Ash shouted. The Electric Type flew in the air, landing the Steel Type move at Hawlucha, who blocked it with another Karate Chop on his human partner's orders.

"Now! Karate Chop!" Yuki called. Hawlucha slammed Pikachu multiple times, before flying into the air as Pikachu panted, laying on the ground. "Oh no! Pikachu, hang in there!" Ash called out.

"Wrap this up, with Flying Press!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha dove towards the ground, smashing Pikachu on the ground with the direct attack. "Pikachu!" Ash screamed for his Electric Type.

As the smoke cleared, Hawlucha was covered in dirt and bruises as he got off of his opponent. Pikachu groaned, with swirls in his eyes, showing that he was unable to battle.

"Alright! Stop! Yuki and Hawlucha wins this one again!" Clemont declared, gesturing that the Fighting duo were the winners of the second battle.

**Winner: Yuki**

**Yuki: 2 Wins**

**Ash: 0 Wins**

**Clemont: 0 Wins**

**Later...**

Hawlucha had recovered with the Oran Berries Clemont gave, as the third battle between Ash and Clemont was about to begin. It was Ash's Froakie, up against Clemont's Chespin again.

"Let's go, Froakie!" Ash called out. "Froak!" Froakie cried out, hopping to face the Grass Type. "Now, Chespin! It's your time to shine!" Clemont called out. Chespin walked up, facing Froakie.

**Clemont: Chespin VS Ash: Froakie**

"Froakie, use Bubble!" Ash called. Bubble was shot from the Bubble Frog Pokémon as Clemont got ready. "Now, dodge!" Clemont called. Chespin tried to dodge, but failed, getting hit instead.

"That little squirt... With the weight he gained from that meal and all the macarons, it's completely vulnerable..." Yuki grumbled, face palming. "Lucha..." Hawlucha sighed, shaking his head.

Serena and Bonnie both sighed, seeing that the Lumiose Gym Leader was already starting to lose. "Now, Chespin! Use Tackle!" Clemont called. Chespin stomped towards Froakie, who easily dodged.

"Okay, Froakie! Use Pound!" Ash called. Froakie ran, aiming the Pound attack at Chespin. "Dodge it, Chespin!" Clemont called. The Spiny Nut Pokémon managed to dodge, but just barely.

Clemont grew annoyed with this, as he called to his Grass Type. "Faster! Move!" Clemont shouted. But, it was too late, as Chespin stood up, he was hit by another Pound attack!

Chespin fainted, already losing the battle. "Ah! Oh well..." Clemont groaned, face palming. "Stop! That's it!" Serena called, stopping the battle as she declared Ash and Froakie the winner.

**Winner: Ash**

**Yuki: 2 Wins**

**Ash: 1 Win**

**Clemont: 0 Wins**

"Huh... Zero wins for me... Two wins for Yuki... And a win for Ash... For a Gym Leader to lose like this in two battles so easily... Like I said, it's embarrassing..." Clemont groaned, picking his Grass Type up.

Bonnie stepped up, smirking. "The way the things are, I bet even Dedenne can beat Chespin in a battle!" Bonnie smirked, holding her little Electric-Fairy Type up in her hands.

Clemont and Serena smiled, feeling a little silly for the little girl. Clemont shook his head with disbelief. "No way... I don't think that would ever happen..." Clemont chuckled nervously.

The Spiny Nut Pokémon felt insulted by Bonnie, as the little sister snorted. "Ha! Prove it! Battle us!" Bonnie demanded. Ash returned Froakie as he and Yuki came over with smiles on their faces.

"Yeah! I would like to see that!" Ash agreed, as Yuki frowned suddenly. "I can already see the winner of the next battle, though..." Yuki explained, walking off to take a seat on the rock.

Chespin gritted his teeth, insulted by the words. "Haw cha cha..." Hawlucha taunted the Grass Type as Chespin snorted, looking up at his trainer. "What do you think, Chespin?" Clemont asked.

"Chespin pin!" Chespin agreed, determined to win the next one. So, it was a brother battling a sister as Chespin and Dedenne faced each other for their battle.

"Dedenne, show them what you can do!" Bonnie called. "Dedenne!" Dedenne cried out with its agreement. "Are you ready, Chespin? Now, don't be overconfident, just because your opponent happens to be smaller than you!" Clemont reminded.

Chespin nodded, patting on his fat belly. Ash, Yuki, and Serena watched from the sides as the three were doubtful for the Grass Type. "Wow... I wonder if Chespin can really handle this..." Serena wondered.

"It's obvious. Bonnie already got this in the bag with just one move." Yuki assured. "One move? Are you sure?" "Pika?" Ash and Pikachu asked, amazed. "See for yourself and watch." Yuki replied.

"Hawlucha." Hawlucha agreed, looking at the beginning of the battle.

**Clemont: Chespin VS Bonnie: Dedenne**

"Now! This time, we'll go first! Use Tackle!" Clemont called. Chespin nodded and ran, but tripped! He slid on the ground, and stopped right in front of Dedenne, much to its nervousness.

Dedenne responded with a Thundershock attack, shocking the startled Grass Type, until it immediately fainted, losing for the third time in battle. "Like I said, one shot." Yuki sighed.

Clemont groaned, face palming once again. "You did it!" "Dedenne!" Bonnie and Dedenne cheered together for their victory.

**Winner: Bonnie**

"And it looks like his little sister comes out on top!" Ash chuckled nervously. "Yeah... And big brother gets knocked down in a notch or two!" Serena giggled with a nervous looking smile.

"Pika..." Pikachu agreed with a sweat drop. The Fighting duo sighed together in disappointment for Clemont and his fat Grass Type, realizing that they lost three battles in a row.

**Later...**

Ash and Yuki were asleep in Clemont's tent as Pikachu and Hawlucha slept next to their trainers. Clemont had given Yuki a sleeping bag, which he seemed to be sleeping more comfortably.

In the other tent, which belonged to Bonnie's, she and Serena seemed to be having fun by making themselves look like Pokémon. Even Dedenne seemed to be enjoying this!

Clemont, on the other hand, seemed to be building something for Chespin to try on, for its weight to decrease so its battling style would become more better.

**But... Later, in the early morning...**

BOOM!

Everyone was awakened by the noise as they all got out of the two tents with their pajamas on. "Whoa! What was that!?" Ash yelped. "That smoke!?" Serena shrieked as she and Bonnie got up.

"Huh... Looks like Clemont exploded his invention again..." Yuki muttered, stretching his arms up high. "Lucha Lucha..." Hawlucha agreed with a sigh and a huge yawn, rubbing his eyes.

Everyone ran over to where the smoke was coming out of. And, it was indeed Clemont, all ruffed up by his exploded invention. "Big brother!?" Bonnie asked, running over.

"What are you doing?" Serena asked. "Whoa... What is this?" Ash asked, curious. Clemont coughed, trying to explain. "Well, it's an exercise gear to get Chespin back into tip-top condition!" Clemont explained.

Bonnie and Dedenne sweat dropped at another failure the Gym Leader's invention had made. "I don't think it works..." Bonnie muttered. "Dedenne..." Dedenne agreed with a sigh.

"This will only take a while to repair. So! Why don't you give my invention a try, Chespin?" Clemont asked, holding up a wearing gear. But, there was no answer as the Vaniville girl noticed.

"Hey... I don't see Chespin anywhere..." Serena explained. "I know that he was here a minute ago..." Clemont assured, looking around. "There might be a chance that he could've been blown off or scared away." Yuki guessed.

"Yeah... Well, it couldn't have gotten far." Ash assured. "Hey! Chespin!" Chespin! Where are you!?" Serena and Bonnie cried out. "Pika Pika!" "Lucha!" Pikachu and Hawlucha called out.

Later, everyone was dressed into their traveling clothes as they all looked around for the Spiny Nut Pokémon. "Hey, Chespin! Can you hear us!?" Ash called out.

"This isn't the time to play around, you know!" Yuki called out in reminder. Serena sighed, feeling concerned. "Oh... I sure hope that we find him soon..." Serena replied, frowning.

"It may be because, Chespin doesn't like us anymore." Bonnie guessed sadly. Clemont grew pale then, thinking if his little sister was right or not. "That's a dumb thought. Why do you think that?" Yuki asked.

"I don't know... It just came out..." Bonnie answered nervously. "Well then... You can keep your thoughts to yourself, because you know that Chespin isn't like that, Bonnie." Yuki reminded.

The Lumiose Gym Leader groaned as the Kanto trainer stepped up. "Don't worry. We will find Chespin for sure!" Ash promised. "We just need to widen our search for a bit!" Serena explained.

"Let's go!" Ash called out as he and Pikachu ran off to find the Grass Type. "Not so fast, Ash!" "Hawlucha Haw!" The Fighting duo called out. The others ran after them, continuing the search.

"Hey! Chespin!" "Pika!" Ash and Pikachu cried out. It's been about half an hour as they continued the search. "Oh man... I'm really starting to get worried." Clemont groaned, slumping down.

"I wonder if Chespin was shocked for losing so bad..." Bonnie wondered. That guess caused the Lumiose Gym Leader to sigh, looking up.

"It's my fault. I was the one who forced Chespin into a battle, right after it had eaten all those macarons... And now, it doesn't like me anymore! Chespin must've run away... I know it..." Clemont explained.

Yuki and Serena glanced at the Gym Leader, feeling sorry for him. "I'm sure that's not true!" Serena assured. "Maybe... I hope you're right." Clemont sighed, as the Hawlucha Boy rubbed the back of his neck.

"Why don't we split up? That way, the search would become a bit more easier." Yuki suggested. "That's a great idea! Pikachu and I will search over there!" Ash agreed as he and Pikachu ran off.

"We'll come back here after we find Chespin!" Ash assured as he and his Electric Type ran off. "Okay! I'm going to go over there!" "Me, too!" Serena and Bonnie explained as they ran to the search.

"I'll look over there with Hawlucha." Yuki suggested. "Haw cha." Hawlucha agreed as he and his human friend ran in the other direction. Clemont looked up, seeing his friends searching around.

"Then, I'll go in this direction and take a look!" Clemont pointed out as he ran near where Yuki and Hawlucha were running in.

To Yuki, he and Hawlucha were in the woods, seeing a weak smoke in the sky. "A smoke? Could that be coming from a building?" Yuki asked. "Lucha..." Hawlucha answered, shrugging.

"Might as well go take a look." The Hawlucha Boy pointed out as his partner agreed. With that said, the two ran to where the smoke was coming from.

When they got there, the Fighting duo looked, seeing a surprise in their eyes. Chespin was on a bench, eating some macarons, despite the fact that it was fat enough already.

Beside him, was a old lady who seemed to be smiling at the fat Grass Type, happy that he was enjoying her macarons. "N-No way... Chespin looks to be happy with that woman..." Yuki muttered in shock.

"Lucha..." Hawlucha agreed, not wanting to believe the scene as well. The Hawlucha took a deep breath, before sighing. "Maybe... Chespin does like that woman better than Clemont..." Yuki thought out loud.

Hawlucha looked up at his trainer, then at the Grass Type, seeing his smile and enjoyment of the macarons.

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Tackle, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 24: A Fire Witch VS Fighter!**

**Chapter 25: A Bag Switch!? Pichu is Here!**

**Chapter 26: Befriend the Opposite! Find Dedenne!**

**Chapter 27: A Ninja Against Martial Arts!**

**Chapter 28: Froakie VS Hawlucha VS Frogadier!?**

**Next chapter preview:**

Wylie: A battle? Again? Are you actually saying that you have a Pokémon that could beat my Delphox?

Clemont: Wait, please! That's my Chespin! I'm its original trainer here!

Carrie: Oh dear... I'm very sorry for causing your Chespin to get in very trouble with me here...

Wylie: Well now! Since that tyke didn't belong to you in the first place! It looks like I win this battle!

Yuki: What are you saying, old man? Just because your wife used someone else's Pokémon, doesn't mean you automatically win the battle.

Clemont: I hate to be a bother... but, Yuki... Could you take over this battle for the two of us?


	24. A Fire Witch VS Fighter!

**Chapter 24: A Fire Witch VS Fighter!**

Last time on "Pokémon Kalos Journey", the group was heading for the next town until the sun began to set. Despite of Serena's inexperience in camping, the group decided to set up camp in the woods.

Once the set up was done, Clemont and Yuki did their work by cooking dinner for their friends and for their Pokémon. As the meal turned out to be delicious, Serena brought out some macarons, until they discovered that there wasn't any.

Much to Clemont's shock, Chespin started to grow fatter, due to the heavy meal and macaron dessert he had from the food and the macarons! Due to his increased weight, Chespin was taken easily down in battles.

It lost to Yuki's Hawlucha, Ash's Froakie, and Bonnie's Dedenne, leaving the Lumiose Gym Leader the loser of the group at the moment. And so, while the others were sleeping, Clemont planned to make an exercise machine for Chespin.

But, as dawn arose, Chespin was nowhere to be seen! Everyone decided to split up and meet back at their usual spot to know what happened to the fat Grass Type. Yuki and Hawlucha seemed to be the first ones finding Chespin, though.

As they saw him, he looked a bit fatter, as he was eating more macarons with some old lady. Much to the Hawlucha Boy's surprise, it looked as if Chespin was happy being with the lady!

Could the fat, little Grass Type be more happier with the old lady? Or will he be more happier when he's back with his old trainer, despite of his lectures and all?

"No way... Chespin looks more happier over there..." Yuki whispered in shock. "Hawlucha..." Hawlucha agreed, also surprised that their little Spiny Nut Pokémon friend was hanging around with the old lady.

The Hawlucha Boy looked up at the sky, recalling what harsh things that the Lumiose Gym Leader did to Chespin last night. He gave a deep sigh, as he looked back. "Let's go, Hawlucha." Yuki called.

Hawlucha was about to protest, until he realized what his human friend was talking about. "Lucha..." Hawlucha mumbled sadly as he and Yuki walked out of the shrubs to head back to their usual spot.

Later, as they all got there, Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were waiting for the two. "There you are! Where have you been?" Serena asked, sounding concerned for the two.

Before Yuki could answer, he glanced at Clemont, who seemed a bit sad, but was still smiling. "Let me guess... You found Chespin and you left him there with the old lady, right?" Yuki guessed.

Clemont widened his eyes as he looked up, before nodding. "Y-Yeah... It doesn't matter anymore... I just left Chespin where it is. So, if you're talking about the lady, you must've felt the same, right?" Clemont asked.

"Yeah." "Haw cha." Yuki and Hawlucha agreed together. Ash, Serena, and Bonnie were all surprised. "But why!? Why would you two just leave Chespin over there!?" Bonnie gasped.

"Well, like Yuki said, it was at a kind looking woman's house, and... Chespin looked really happy..." Clemont explained. "You're kidding!" Serena replied, not wanting to believe it.

"Clemont... What are you talking about?" Ash asked, bewildered. The Gym Leader sadly smiled, looking up as he narrowed his eyes. "Well, Ash... I don't think Chespin cares about me anymore..." Clemont admitted.

This time, even the Fighting duo were surprised. "Do you really think that's what Chespin thinks? I mean, he probably got lured in by the lady's macarons, don't you think?" Yuki asked.

"Why do you say that?" Clemont asked looking up. Everyone looked at the Hawlucha Boy as he made some thoughts, guessing how and why Chespin was there in the first place.

"I don't think it was the explosion of your invention that scared Chespin off... I think it was the delicious smell of the macarons that the old lady had made..." Yuki explained with a frown.

Clemont widened his eyes as he waited for more. "Y-Yeah!? And!?" Clemont exclaimed. "When I was sleeping in your tent, I caught a whiff of a delicious smell, but it was very faint, so I just ignored it..." Yuki continued.

He then thought deeper, thinking more. "And maybe... Just maybe... Chespin took a huge whiff of the scent and must've followed the scent of where the house was!" Yuki finished.

"That has to be it!... I guess..." Ash agreed as he rubbed the back of his head, wondering if it was the true reason or not. Suddenly, before anyone else could react, they all heard an explosion!

Everyone turned to see dust and smoke coming out of the forest as both Yuki and Clemont widened their eyes. "What's that!?" Ash asked, startled. "It's coming from the house... Ah! Oh no, Chespin!" Clemont gasped.

He ran to where the explosion was seen as the others tried to follow him. "Clemont!?" Bonnie complained, running after her brother. "Looks to me that Clemont still cares about Chespin awfully a lot!" Serena giggled.

"You don't have to say that in a grim way... We all know..." Yuki muttered. "Lucha." Hawlucha agreed as they all went after the Lumiose Gym Leader. As they caught up to him, the group all got a major surprise.

The Spiny Nut Pokémon was battling a Pokémon that looked more like a Fire Type Pokémon! The wizard fox looking Pokémon was shooting blue fire, which looked like Will-o-Wisp.

"Ah! Chespin, no!" Clemont gasped. Yuki ran over, seeing the battle. "Wait... Is Chespin having a battle!? In that state?" Yuki exclaimed, not believing of what he was seeing.

"Hawlucha." Hawlucha narrowed his eyes. At first, he and his human partner saw Chespin having a happy time with the old lady... But now, the little Grass Type seemed to be in peril!

Clemont gritted his teeth as he began to take a step to save his Grass Type, only for him to stop and hesitate. "Clemont! What are you waiting for!?" Serena called out, confused of the Gym Leader's hesitation.

"Please, little Chespin! Just hang in there! Quick! Do something! Counterattack!" The old lady pleaded, as she tried to encourage the Spiny Nut Pokémon to keep battling.

"Chespin! Chespin!" Chespin retorted, sounding like he couldn't counterattack at his fat state. The old man that was battling against Chespin and the old lady laughed in triumph, seeing his easy victory.

"Ah ha ha ha! Looks like it's going to be another win for me!" The old man laughed. Chespin groaned as he sat, feeling already exhausted, due to him being fat with all the food it ate.

"Oh dear... I guess this little Chespin doesn't know how to battle after all..." The old lady sighed, sounding like she was about to give up. "Clemont, shouldn't we stop it somehow?" Ash asked.

The Lumiose Gym Leader was speechless as he bit his lips. The Hawlucha Boy turned, narrowing his eyes. "Clemont..." Yuki whispered. "Hold on. Who's Chespin battling?" Serena asked.

Yuki took out his Pokédex, frowning. "It's a Delphox! Fennekin's evolved form!" Yuki answered as he checked the data on the Pokédex.

_"Delphox, the Fox Pokémon, and the final evolved form of Fennekin. When Delphox stares into the flame on the tip of its branch to achieve a focus state, it creates a bright hot spiral of fire with its psychic power."_ Yuki's Pokédex buzzed.

Both Ash and Serena widened their eyes at that. "This isn't good! A Fire Type like Delphox puts a Grass Type like Chespin in a disadvantage!" Serena exclaimed, as she started to worry.

"Clemont! You've got to help Chespin!" Bonnie pleaded, turning to her older brother. "But what? I know that Chespin doesn't like me anymore..." Clemont reminded as Yuki gritted his teeth.

"Must you always get into a stupid conclusion like that!? I said it before! Chespin didn't abandon you... He was lured by that old lady's sweets!" Yuki snapped, grabbing Clemont by the collar.

The Lumiose Gym Leader yelped before he pried the Hawlucha Boy off of him. "I-I know, but..." Clemont started, but was interrupted when the old man was ready to end the battle.

"Alright then! I think it's about time I wrap this one up! Delphox, Flamethrower!" The old man shouted, pointing at the little Grass Type. Delphox shot the Fire Type attack with no hesitation.

The Flamethrower was headed straight for Chespin! Ash was ready to stop the battle now. "Quick, Pikachu! Go help Chespin, now!" Ash called out. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed as he was about to aid Chespin.

But, before anyone else could move, Clemont took desperate measures as he ran towards the yard, trying to save his Grass Type. "CHESPIN!" Clemont yelled as he activated his Aipom Arm.

As Flamethrower got closer, the Lumiose Gym Leader used the Aipom Arm, repelling the Fire Type move. Everyone gasped at this as the old man panicked with the sudden interruption.

"Whoa! Stop it, Delphox! Stop it now! Stop it!" The old man ordered. The Fox Pokémon withdrew the flames, stopping the attack. Chespin took short breathes, as he turned to see who was protecting him.

"Ngh... Chespin, are you alright?" Clemont asked. "Chespin..." Chespin replied with a nod, as he was still surprised. "Clemont!" Ash yelled as he and the others ran to him in worry.

The Gym Leader looked at the old lady with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. You see, Chespin is my Pokémon." Clemont explained. The old lady widened her eyes in surprise, before frowning.

"Well, what do you know... Guess I made a huge mistake..." The old lady replied, sighing. The old man raised his eyebrow with a suspicious look. "Well, that's that. I guess that would make me a winner again?" The old man asked.

The lady frowned, seeing that she had lost the battle. "Oh..." The old lady sighed. Chespin got up, looking at the lady in worry as Yuki stepped up, glaring at the old man and Delphox.

"That's not true. Chespin hasn't lost the battle yet, meaning that this battle isn't over. Chespin's true trainer will just have to take over!" Yuki explained, crossing his arms.

"Lucha!" Hawlucha agreed, crossing his arms as well. The old man blinked as Clemont looked up at the Hawlucha Boy in surprise. "But, Yuki..." Clemont started, before Chespin gave a determined tone.

"Chespin!" Chespin called, running to the front to continue to face Delphox. At that determination, Clemont nodded and got up, preparing to continue the battle. He turned to the old lady for a request.

"Chespin and I would like to finish your battle, please. I'm going to think more of Chespin's feelings. By doing that, I think it will help me personally how to grow as a person and as a Trainer!" Clemont explained.

The old lady blinked, before smiling. "Not sure of what you mean, but I would be pleased to have you take over in the battle! I'd be also pleased if you win! That old man owes me an apology, got it?" The old lady asked.

The four trainers and Bonnie all blinked in confusion as the lady turned to her husband. "Wylie! That's okay with you, right?" The old lady asked. The old man, Wylie sighed, turning his head.

"Well, okay... If that's how the boy feels. But, let's make this a bit more interesting. Why not have a double battle? The boy could have one of his friends join him in battle if they want!" Wylie smirked.

"A double battle? Well..." Clemont started, as Hawlucha stepped up. "Hawlucha!" Hawlucha declared. "Hawlucha and I will join Clemont here for the double battle!" Yuki volunteered.

"Yeah! You go get him, Yuki! Clemont!" Ash called out. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu cheered along. The Gym Leader blinked in surprise, before smiling. "Thanks, Yuki. I really appreciate it!" Clemont thanked.

The Fighting duo nodded together as the two boys faced Wylie and Delphox. "Thank you very much for the offering! Ready to go, Chespin?" Clemont asked. "Chespin!" Chespin replied with a nod.

"Alright then... Let's go, Chesnaught!" Wylie called, summoning his other Pokémon. A huge Grass Type appeared, roaring, as it sounded like it was ready to battle. Chespin widened his eyes, shocked to see his evolved form.

"Whoa! Who's that Pokémon!?" Ash gasped, seeing the fully evolved Grass Type. The Hawlucha Boy took out his Pokédex again, scanning the Grass-Fighting Type Pokémon.

_"Chesnaught, the Spiny Armor Pokémon and the final evolved form of Chespin. When Chesnaught takes a defensive posture with its fists guarding its face, it could withstand a bomb blast."_ Yuki's Pokédex buzzed.

"Whoa... This is gonna be tougher than with just Delphox!" Clemont gulped as Yuki narrowed his eyes, with Hawlucha ready to fight. "Hey, so you're just gonna give in that easily?" Yuki asked.

Clemont smirked, shaking his head. "No way! An opponent like Delphox or Chesnaught can be strong, but that doesn't mean we give in!" Clemont reminded, feeling determined. "Chespin!" Chespin agreed.

Both Yuki and Hawlucha nodded as the two trainers and their two Pokémon turned to face their evolved opponents. "Heh heh... Alright then... Then, let's get this started now, shall we!?" Wylie declared.

**Wylie: Delphox &amp; Chesnaught VS Yuki/Clemont: Hawlucha &amp; Chespin**

"Alright! Delphox! Use Will-o-Wisp on Chespin! And Chesnaught, use Seed Bomb at Hawlucha!" Wylie ordered. The blue fire was headed straight for Chespin as giant seeds was headed straight for Hawlucha.

"Send them right back with Karate Chop, Hawlucha!" Yuki called. "Dodge it, Chespin!" Clemont shouted. As the Wrestling Pokémon deflected them back with Karate Chop, Chespin rolled, dodging Will-o-Wisp.

"It's no good letting Chespin attack with a full stomach... But, if it can keep moving by staying out of the way..." Clemont thought, thinking of a way to make his Grass Type thin again.

"Delphox! Use Flamethrower on Chespin! And Chesnaught, use Brick Break on Hawlucha!" Wylie ordered. Once again, the Fox Pokémon targeted Chespin with another Fire Type move.

Chesnaught charged at Hawlucha, who got ready. "Hawlucha! Fly with Aerial Ace!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha narrowed his eyes as he waited for the perfect timing to slash Chesnaught away with Aerial Ace.

"Huh!? But how!?" Wylie gasped. "With Chesnaught being a Grass and a Fighting Type, a Flying Type move like Aerial Ace will do four times damage!" Yuki reminded, smirking.

Clemont had ordered Chespin to keep dodging by rolling. Bonnie frowned at this kind of strategy. "I know Yuki is doing well, but... I don't know about Chespin... He just keeps rolling!" Bonnie stated.

"Is Clemont's strategy starting to work? It's kind of hard to tell!" Ash admitted, frowning. "I think it is! Being rounder will make it easier for Chespin to dodge!" Serena stated.

Bonnie seemed to get it as she added another point. "Oh yeah! If Chespin keeps rolling like that, then it would make it easier for him to not get hit!" Bonnie pointed out. Yuki heard what the others said as he frowned.

"But, just how long will Chespin be able to roll and dodge like that?" Yuki asked, frowning. Delphox unleashed another Flamethrower as Chespin kept rolling to evade his opponent's attack.

"Argh! Chesnaught! Use Hammer Arm on Hawlucha, now!" Wylie shouted. "Hawlucha, intercept with another Aerial Ace!" Yuki shouted. Chesnaught yelled, aiming his two fists at the Wrestling Pokémon.

But, Hawlucha was too quick as he easily dodged the attack, and slashed Chesnaught with another Aerial Ace, much to its pain. The evolved Grass Pokémon fell to his knees, panting.

"Argh... We're reaching our limits!" Wylie grunted, seeing that his Grass Type was getting tired from all the hits and attacks he had to take and use. As for Delphox, it kept shooting Flamethrower, much to its annoyance.

The more Chespin rolled around, the more thinner it started to get! "Will-o-Wisp!" Wylie called. The blue flames were back as Clemont countered again. "Chespin! Dodge by rolling again!" Clemont called.

Once again, the Spiny Nut Pokémon dodged, but it looked like he was a bit more faster now! "Wow, it really is working! Now Chespin is moving faster and faster!" Ash pointed out, seeing that Chespin was getting thinner.

"Yay! Chespin and Hawlucha! Way to go, you two!" Bonnie cheered. "Dedenne!" Dedenne cried out. "Feeling good, Chespin?" Clemont asked. "Chespin!" The Grass Type answered with a nod.

"Alright then! Chespin! Use Tackle on Delphox!" Clemont shouted. Yuki saw the change as he made switch of targets. "Hawlucha! Use Aerial Ace on Delphox as well!" Yuki cried out.

Seeing that his Fire Type was being ganged up on, Wylie took desperate measures. "Argh! Chesnaught! Guard Delphox with Spiky Shield!" Wylie called. "Spiky Shield!?" Ash repeated in surprise.

"What's that!?" Serena asked, also surprise with the new move. Chesnaught ran in front of his Fire Type partner, creating glowing green spikes in his arms. Both Chespin and Hawlucha gasped as they hit the shield.

Immediately, Chespin yelped in pain as Hawlucha gritted his teeth, withstanding it as he slashed Chesnaught away! "Oh no! Chesnaught!" Wylie gasped. The Grass Type smashed to the ground, fainted.

**Wylie: 1 Pokémon**

"That's how you do it, boys! Keep it going!" Wylie's wife cheered, calling to both Yuki and Clemont. The Lumiose Gym Leader took this chance to make another attack.

"Alright now, Chespin! Use Tackle one more time!" Clemont shouted. Quickly, the Spiny Nut Pokémon charged and bashed into Delphox, much to its shock as the Fire Type skidded back.

"Hawlucha! Aerial Ace, let's go!" Yuki called. Hawlucha flew towards the Fox Pokémon as Wylie tried to counter. "Not bad... But, not good enough! Delphox, use Will-o-Wisp!" Wylie shouted.

Delphox shot the blue flames at Hawlucha, who flew out of the way, before slashing Delphox this time. "Ah! No!" Wylie gasped as his wife grinned, seeing that her husband was actually losing.

"Yeah! Keep it going, Chespin! Hawlucha!" Ash called out. "Pikachu!" Pikachu called along. "They just might win this one!" Serena exclaimed as Bonnie and Dedenne cheered together again.

"Great! Now, Chespin is moving like his regular self!" Clemont exclaimed. He and Chespin high fived each other as the two grew more confident. "Let's keep it up! Use Vine Whip!" Clemont shouted.

Vine Whip was lashed at Delphox, who blocked it! Wylie smirked at that. "That won't work on us!" Wylie warned. "Ah, oh no!" Clemont gasped. "Now, Delphox! Use Flamethrower!" Wylie shouted.

Delphox prepared to attack as the Hawlucha Boy called out his attack. "I don't think so! Hawlucha, Focus Blast, let's go!" Yuki called. Hawlucha rose into the air, preparing for his special attack.

"Too late, kid!" Wylie called as Flamethrower blasted both Hawlucha and Chespin away! Focus Blast was interrupted, stopping the move. "Oh no, Chespin!" "No, Hawlucha!" The two boys gasped.

Ash, Serena, and Bonnie all gasped, seeing that the two Pokémon together took direct hits, with Chespin taking major damage, due to his type disadvantages against a Fire Type.

Clemont bit his lips as he called out to his Grass Type. "Please, Chespin! You've just got to get up! I believe in you! You can do it!" Clemont encouraged, calling to his weakened Grass Type.

Chespin gritted his teeth before he got up, struggling to stand. Hawlucha managed to get up more quicker as he brushed the dirt off of his wing. Yuki narrowed his eyes, smirking a little.

"That's right. No Pokémon is going to take us down that easily!" Yuki called out. "Haw cha!" Hawlucha called out, facing Delphox again. As Chespin got up, he then started to glow with green aura!

"Whoa, what's that!?" Serena asked, shocked to see Chespin like that. Both Yuki and Hawlucha smirked, seeing that their Grass Type friend was growing stronger with the ability he has.

"Overgrow! Chespin's special ability! When Chespin is in a bad shape, his Grass Type moves get stronger!" Clemont exclaimed. Chespin let out a yell, sounding like he was ready to win the battle.

"Alright! Time to wrap this up!" Clemont declared as he glanced at Yuki. The Hawlucha Boy nodded, as Hawlucha nodded as well, with the two facing the evolved Fire Type together.

"Vine Whip, let's go!" "Focus Blast, one more time!" The two boys called out. Chespin used his Vine Whip, whipping Delphox, as it yelled in pain, forced to drop his fire twig, much to its surprise.

Hawlucha quickly charged up his Focus Blast, ready to fire. Before Delphox could get its stick back, he launched it, which made a direct hit, as the Fox Pokémon screeched in pain by the direct attack.

"Oh no, Delphox!" Wylie gasped as he gritted his teeth. "Yeah! That's the way on you how do it!" Clemont complimented. "Pin Chespin!" Chespin cried out, feeling proud for standing up against a tough opponent.

"Don't celebrate yet! This battle isn't over." "Hawlucha." Yuki and Hawlucha reminded. Wylie grew tired of this as he glared at the two boys.

"I've still got a trick or two up my sleeve, boys! I didn't think that I would need to use this! But, I'm gonna do it, and that's that!" Wylie declared, sounding like a threat as his wife gasped.

"But, Wylie!? You're actually going to use that move!? But, you know how much dangerous it can be!" Wylie's wife reminded, but the old man paid no attention as he grew all fired up.

"Now, you be quiet! There's no going back now!" Wylie snapped. The four trainers and Bonnie all widened their eyes, thinking it might be a dangerous move, even for Delphox.

"Huh!? Sounds like a super strong move that could hurt the Pokémon who uses it!" Ash exclaimed, starting to worry. "Pika..." Pikachu agreed, also bracing himself.

Yuki narrowed his eyes, as Hawlucha kept his guard up, ready. "Heads up, Chespin!" Clemont warned. Chespin nodded, ready for the strong move. Wylie then pointed in the air, calling out his attack.

"Now! Mystical Fire- AGH!" Wylie started, but yelled in pain all of a sudden. "M-M-My back... Argh!" Wylie groaned as he fell on his back. He seemed to have bent his back too much, causing it to hurt.

Yuki and Hawlucha both sweat dropped as Clemont and Chespin grew concerned. "Oh, sir!? Are you alright!?" Clemont called. Wylie's wife ran over, running to check on her husband.

"Oh dear... Now, didn't I tell you that you'd hurt yourself!? Wylie, you poor thing..." The wife sighed, feeling concerned for her fragile husband. Delphox sweat dropped as Chesnaught sighed, having recovered from the battle.

The four trainers all laughed nervously, along with Bonnie. "I see... She meant that Wylie would get hurt... Not the Pokémon..." Ash muttered, sighing in relief, seeing that Delphox wouldn't be harmed.

"I'd say that's enough battling for one day, Wylie." The wife reminded, stopping the battle. The old man sighed, thinking of what the results would be.

"Ha. I guess I'd let you have this victory. Chesnaught had fallen, and those two boys still have their Pokémon in battle. It's a two against one, especially with Delphox taking a lot of damage." Wylie declared.

The wife smiled, chuckling. "Well! I suppose we could call it like that." Wylie's wife sighed, shaking her head. "So... I guess this means... we won?" Clemont asked, unsure about it.

"I guess so... Despite that the battle was interrupted." Yuki agreed, shrugging. Hawlucha and Chespin copied the shrugging, disappointed together that the battle had quickly ended.

**Winner: Yuki &amp; Clemont**

**Later...**

Everyone was inside at the old couple's house as Wylie sighed, apologizing. "I'm sorry that you all nice folks had to be dragged into one of our family squabbles. "You see, we kind of had a fight yesterday..." The wife started to explain.

And then, the two explained on how Wylie noticed his wife's body being a little fat. The wife grew insulted to that as she took his dinner away, much to his shock. After the story ended, the group sweat dropped at that, laughing nervously.

Just then, Wylie's wife noticed a box sitting on a chair. "Oh? What's that?" The wife asked, seeing the box. Immediately, her husband blushed, trying to look away.

"Well... You see... I bought it for you, hoping that we could make up." Wylie answered as he lifted the box cover. Inside the box, was a cake, that was beautifully decorated with a bunch of fruits.

"Wylie... Now, wasn't that sweet? I bet you were gonna apologize whether I won or lost, weren't you?" Wylie's wife asked, as her cheeks started to blush a little. The old man chuckled at that question.

"Of course I was." Wylie answered with a straight smile. With that forgiven, the old couple turned to the group, with their suggestion. "Well then? I think we should eat as our apology. What do you say?" The wife asked.

"Really?" "Alright!" "Delish!" Everyone cried out as they laughed together.

Later, as everyone had eaten the cake, the group began to say their farewell to the old couple. Wylie's wife crouched down, looking at both Hawlucha and Chespin, as she said her words.

"Chespin and Hawlucha. I couldn't thank you as much. You two are very lucky to have teamed up with such great and caring trainers!" The wife giggled. "Chespin!" "Haw..." The two replied.

Chespin replied with a nod as Hawlucha gave a short nod, while blushing. The Lumiose Gym Leader blinked in surprise as he turned to his Grass Type. "So, you didn't run away because you didn't like me?" Clemont asked.

Chespin widened his eyes as he immediately shook his head, saying no. Yuki laughed a little as Clemont blinked in surprise as he smiled. "Wow... You do. You really do like me, Chespin!" Clemont sighed.

"Clemont, looks like Yuki was right about the whole thing! It sounds like you imagined the whole thing!" Ash chuckled. "I could tell how much Chespin cares for you after seeing you two battle!" Serena commented.

She turned to Yuki, saying the same thing. "That goes for you, Yuki! You and Hawlucha looked like you two were in sync!" Serena pointed out. The Hawlucha Boy rubbed the back of his head with a small laugh.

"You can say that again, Serena. I feel like nothing can tear our unbreakable bond apart! Don't you feel the same, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked, turning to his Wrestling Pokémon.

"Hawlucha cha!" Hawlucha replied with a grin as he folded his arms. Clemont held his Grass Type in his arms as he smiled. "You are my special partner! I just hope that we can be friends forever!" Clemont exclaimed.

"Chespin!" Chespin cried out in agreement. The Gym Leader turned to the old couple as he bowed down in thanks. "Thank you so much." Clemont thanked with a smile. "Come back anytime!" Wylie's wife giggled.

"Right!" "Pin!" "Alright." "Haw cha!" Clemont, Yuki, Chespin, and Hawlucha all agreed together. With that said, the group began to continue on their way for Ash and Yuki's second Gym Badge!

What will occur along the way? Stay tuned for some more Pokémon actions!

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 25: A Bag Switch!? Pichu is Here!**

**Chapter 26: Befriend the Opposite! Find Dedenne!**

**Chapter 27: A Ninja Against Martial Arts!**

**Chapter 28: Froakie VS Hawlucha VS Frogadier!?**

**Chapter 29: The PokéFlute Needed To Awaken!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Bonnie: Here we go, Dedenne... Huh? You're not Dedenne! You're... a Pichu!

Serena: What happened? Why is that Pichu in your bag, Bonnie?

Yuki: I'm guessing that whoever has Dedenne must've took your bag by mistake, and you took their bag...

Bonnie: Oh no... What if Dedenne could be in trouble?... I... I... I can't forgive myself if that happens!

Ash: Don't worry, Bonnie! We just have to look around for your bag! She might be around here somewhere!

Yuki: Hm? Dedenne! There you are! And, you are...?


	25. A Bag Switch? Pichu is Here!

**Chapter 25: A Bag Switch!? Pichu is Here!**

"Want some more, Dedenne?" Bonnie asked her Electric Type Pokémon. The four trainers and Bonnie were all on their way to Cyllage City for Ash and Yuki's second Kalos Gym battle.

The five were currently on their way to head to the next town's Pokémon Center for a break as they were walking in the woods that led to the town. Serena had Fennekin out with her right now.

Yuki had Bulbasaur and Litleo out, walking with him together. Ash and Serena were talking together as Bonnie seemed to be feeding Dedenne pieces of bread as she gave Dedenne some more.

Clemont watched as he watched with a sheepish smile. "Bonnie, it isn't a good idea to give Dedenne so many snacks at once." Clemont reminded, as his little sister looked up at him in confusion.

"Huh? Why isn't it?" Bonnie asked. "Because when mealtime rolls around, it won't be hungry! Pokémon food is well formulated to give Pokémon a once and healthy diet!" Clemont explained.

Yuki heard the whole thing as he snickered. "Tell that to Chespin... It always wants to take a bite out of Serena's macaron and eats more than usual! Remember when we met old man Wylie and his wife?" Yuki reminded.

Clemont frowned at that, trying to change the subject. "Could you not bring that up, Yuki? It's kind of embarrassing." Clemont groaned as he sighed. "Sorry. I'm just saying..." Yuki apologized.

"So... that would mean it would be better if I don't give Dedenne any snacks at all..." Bonnie sighed as Dedenne felt disappointed for not getting any more bread pieces. At the mention of that, Serena turned, surprised.

"Hold on. None at all?" Serena asked with a frown. Both she and Yuki turned to show the two siblings that they were giving their Pokémon some snacks. Serena had Fennekin eat her favorite snack, a twig.

Yuki was giving Litleo and Bulbasaur a few apples for them to snack on. Hawlucha was munching on an apple as well, causing Clemont to chuckle. "Hold on. I'm sure a little bit is okay." Clemont assured.

"He's right. I give Pikachu some snacks, too. But, when it's time to eat, both of us are always hungry!" Ash explained, giving Pikachu an apple as his Electric Type took a bite out of it.

"Well, that's because the two of you like to eat a ton of food!" Serena reminded. "Not to mention that your stomachs are like black holes..." Yuki added as a joke, shaking his head.

Litleo and Hawlucha both snickered at that joke as Bulbasaur just smiled, hearing her trainer's joke. "W-Well... You sure seem to know a lot about Pokémon, don't you, Clemont?" Ash asked.

"Sure he is! Remember, he's the Lumiose Gym Leader! Though, he doesn't look like it..." Bonnie reminded as her older brother sweat dropped at that last statement. "Doesn't look like it?" Clemont repeated.

With that said, the group continued walking as they continued the conversation about food and diets for their Pokémon. "Well... I do need to learn more about being a trainer... For Fennekin and me!" Serena reminded.

"That's right... Being a good trainer also means to check your Pokémon's health, whether if it is hungry or not." Yuki agreed as he finished off the apple he was snacking on.

"You feel healthy, right, buddy?" Ash asked. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Just then, the Vaniville girl ran up to the front, taking out her Kalos Guide device.

"I've got an idea! Let's take a break at the Pokémon Center! The next town shouldn't be so far away!" Serena suggested. "That's not a bad idea. Our Pokémon do need to be checked up anyway." Yuki agreed.

"Haw cha." "Lit! Litleo!" "Bulba!" Yuki's three Pokémon cried out their agreements. "Yay! Hear that, Dedenne?" Bonnie asked as she looked at her small bag, only to not get an answer.

Bonnie blinked as she looked at the bag. "Dedenne?... Ah! Dedenne suddenly disappeared!" Bonnie gasped. The four trainers all turned in surprise and gasped, seeing that it was true.

**[Pokémon: XY Volt Opening (English Subbed)]**

(Pikachu was shown kissing the screen until he ran with Ash, Yuki, and Hawlucha)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying,**_

(A scene showed a route crossroad, with Meowstic and a group of Swirlix floating by)

_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark, **_

(A grassfield where Vivillon, and Swanna groups are flying at a nearby town)

(Underwater where Water Type were swimming underwater)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were seeing a town from a bridge view)

_**Ice, Normal, Fighting, Fire,**_

(A flower field shows; a group of macarons show; a rainy night shows)

_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy,**_

(The group runs along the route in the city)

_**Come on, from here on out it's an adventure and there's only light ahead**_

(Ash's blue background show him and Pikachu sharing sandwiches together)

_**The sky overflows with a rain of tears but we push through**_

(Serena's pink background show her picking a hat, while Fennekin happily runs around her)

_**Come on, use your courage to be better than you were yesterday**_

(Clemont's blue and yellow background show him inventing a machine before it explodes, while Bonnie runs with Dedenne and Chespin)

_**Treasure any encounter  
****  
Heart's pounding, Challenger!**_

(Yuki's green background shows him and Hawlucha sparring with each other, while Litleo, Heracross, and Bulbasaur cheers)

_**Someday, my dream will be fulfilled **_

(Ash, Yuki, Hawlucha, and Pikachu were running only to be blocked by a huge cliff)

(Silhouettes of Kalos Gym Leaders shine in front of the two)

_**That's what you have taught me, and that's why I travel**_

(Serena place a hand on Ash's left shoulder, Clemont places a hand on Yuki's right shoulder, Bonnie grabs the two's hands together)

(The group runs to the field on their journey)

_**As the red ring of bonds spreads far and wide**_

I'll definitely reach out to everyone with this energy I suddenly feel

(Ash and Yuki make attack calls; Pikachu and Hawlucha fights and defeat the trainers' Honedge and Pangoro)

_**This blue planet of ours is shining with hope**_

(Clemont calls for attacks; Chespin uses Pin Missile, and Bunnelby uses Dig)

(Bonnie cheers, as Dedenne uses Thundershock)

(Serena calls for an attack; Fennekin uses Ember)

(Yuki calls for attacks; Bulbasaur uses Razor Leaf, Litleo uses Ember, Heracross uses Megahorn, and Hawlucha uses Karate Chop)

_**The yellow flowers bloom**_

(Ash calls for attacks: Froakie uses Water Pulse, Fletchling uses Steel Wing, as Pikachu uses Electro Ball)

(A Mega Evolution sign appears; Mega Lucario roars, sending huge power)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying**_  
_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark**_  
_**Ice, Normal, Fire, Fighting**_  
_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy**_

(Xerneas and Yvetal appears; The Japanese opening title appears)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie smile at the viewers with their Pokémon)

**(Title opening ends)**

"Dedenne!" Bonnie cried out. "Hey! Dedenne! Where did you go!?" Ash called. Ever since Dedenne had disappeared from Bonnie's bag, everyone spread around to search for the Electric-Fairy Type Pokémon.

"Dedenne!" "Dedenne! Where are you!?" Everyone cried out. Yuki narrowed his eyes as he looked around with Serena and Hawlucha, trying to see if they could find the little one somewhere in the trees.

Suddenly, the Vaniville girl gasped as Yuki called out in surprise. "Dedenne!?" Yuki blurted out as Hawlucha cried out his surprise. The others ran over to see that Dedenne was in front of a tree.

"Oh! Dedenne, there you are!" Bonnie cried out. Clemont adjusted his glasses as he looked up at the tree. "I get it..." Clemont replied. "That little one must've wanted berries for another snack!" Yuki chuckled.

"Its stomach is like a bottomless pit!" Serena giggled, seeing how Dedenne tried to get up to the tree. Bonnie ran over to check up on the Electric-Fairy Type. She got ahold of it, smiling sadly.

"Come on, Dedenne. You should know that you shouldn't have run off like that!" Bonnie reminded with a sad smile. "Dedenne?" Dedenne asked as it cocked his head with a silly smile.

**Later...**

After their search was done, the group went to the town's Pokémon Center, where Ash, Yuki, Clemont, and Serena gave their Pokéballs to Nurse Joy for a check up. Bonnie was tucking Dedenne into her small bag.

The little Pokémon seemed to enjoying his nap as the little girl giggled, closing her bag. Suddenly, as Bonnie looked up, there was a young woman who seemed to be in a middle of a call.

Back to the four trainers, Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff came over, giving the Pokéballs back to the group. Pikachu and Hawlucha ran over to their trainers as the Electric Type jumped in Ash's arms.

"Hey, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed as Pikachu grinned, feeling overjoyed for having his health all replenished. "Lucha Haw!" Hawlucha chuckled as he fist bumped with the Hawlucha Boy.

"Hey, Hawlucha! Glad to see that your check up is all finished!" Yuki replied with a grin. "Cha." Hawlucha replied with a nod and a smirk. "Your Pokémon are all in great health!" Nurse Joy explained.

"Wigglytuff!" Wigglytuff replied as she gave the Pokéballs back. "Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy." "Wow, that's great!" Ash and Serena thanked as their took their Pokéballs with them.

"Thanks for the help, Nurse Joy." "Thanks for your help!" Yuki and Clemont thanked together. Just then, they heard Bonnie talking to some random woman, the same one on the phone.

"Excuse me, miss?" Bonnie asked. The woman turned, blinking in surprise to see Bonnie with her. "Would you please take care of my brother? You're a keeper!" Bonnie exclaimed.

All the four trainers widened their eyes in shock as Clemont yelled in panic. "I TOLD YOU TO STOP THIS A MILLION TIMES!" Clemont bellowed as he held his head in embarrassment.

His younger sister ignored him however, and continued on. "He may not look like it, but he's actually a Gym Leader! He's got a great future looking at him, but I can't take care of him forever..." Bonnie continued as she smiled wider.

"So, I thought that you might be a dependable wife- Ah!" Bonnie started again, only for her older brother to grab her with his Aipom Arm device. "Ahh! Think about it, please!" Bonnie called out as she was dragged away.

Clemont closed his eyes in annoyance as he glared at his younger sister. "This is so embarrassing... Why do you do this?" Clemont scolded as Bonnie pouted, not believing of what her brother was saying.

"Duh. Because I care about you!" Bonnie answered with a pout. "You can care about me by minding your own business!" Clemont snapped as Bonnie tried to explain once again.

"But-" "I can just take care of myself, Bonnie. Do you understand!?" "But, I just-" "No buts! Do you understand!?" The two siblings argued back and forth as Yuki, Ash, and Serena giggled.

"They never quit when they're bickering with each other, huh?" Yuki chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head. By the time the argument was done, the woman already left the Center.

"Hey! Now that everybody's feeling better, how about we have a battle?" Ash suggested, feeling fired up for some training. "Sure thing, Ash. I could go for some warm up." Yuki agreed.

"Yeah! That's a great idea!" Clemont agreed along. Serena pointed out the way where the field might be. "I think I saw the battlefield right there!" Serena explained, pointing the way out.

"Let's go!" Ash called out. So, the four trainers began to leave the Center towards the battlefield, while Bonnie remembered something. "Ah! Wait for me!" Bonnie pleaded as she ran to grab her bag.

Once she got her small, yellow bag, the little girl followed her three friends and her big brother out to the battlefield outside. At the battlefield, Ash and Yuki were facing each other for a practice battle.

Yuki had Bulbasaur out, while Ash had Pikachu out. "Good luck, you two!" "Pikachu and Bulbasaur! Good luck to you, too!" Serena and Bonnie called out. Clemont took his position as referee.

"Alright then! Battle begin!" Clemont declared, starting the practice battle. "Ready, Bulbasaur?" Yuki called. "Bulba!" Bulbasaur responded with a nod. Hawlucha gave her a thumbs up as the battle began.

**Yuki: Bulbasaur VS Ash: Pikachu**

"Alright, Bulbasaur! Start this off with Tackle!" Yuki cried out. Bulbasaur glared at her Electric Type opponent as she ran, charging to hit Pikachu. "Pikachu, counter with Quick Attack!" Ash called.

Pikachu ran fast, bashing into Bulbasaur, while negating her attack. "No way!" Yuki gasped, as his Grass Type skidded back, shaking her head. "Are you okay, Bulbasaur!?" Yuki asked.

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur replied with a nod and a determined look. Her debut as a battler started to make her strong as she got ready for some real training to be on action.

"Okay then! Next, use Razor Leaf!" Yuki shouted. The female Grass Type shot sharp leaves at Pikachu, as Ash got ready. "Dodge, then use Iron Tail, Pikachu!" Ash shouted out.

Pikachu dodged most of the leaves, but several hit him, as Pikachu gritted his teeth in pain. "Keep it going, Pikachu!" Ash called. The Mouse Pokémon held on to his feet as he launched his Iron Tail attack.

"I don't think so! Bulbasaur, block it with Vine Whip!" Yuki shouted. Bulbasaur whipped Pikachu, negating Iron Tail as the Kanto trainer and his Electric Type Pokémon gasped in surprise.

"Oh no!" Ash gasped as Pikachu landed on the ground, facing Bulbasaur, who smirked in determination. Both Serena and Clemont grew impressed as the practice battle went on.

"Wow... They both are moving so well! It's because they saw Nurse Joy..." Serena complimented. "Yeah. And despite of Bulbasaur battling the first time, she's really getting into this battle!" Clemont added.

As the two kept watching, Bonnie blinked, as she felt something moving in her small, yellow bag. As she looked, two black, pointy ears popped out of the bag. The little girl blinked in surprise at this.

"H-Huh? What's this?" Bonnie asked as her brother and Serena looked at her. "Bonnie, what's wrong?" Clemont asked as he and Serena looked. Bonnie frowned, seeing the black ears.

"Those sure don't look like Dedenne's ears to me!" Bonnie explained as she pointed at the ears. The two looked as they both frowned as well. "No, they don't..." Serena agreed.

"Hold on... Could those be..." Clemont started, until the bag opened up. It was not Dedenne, but rather a different Pokémon! It looked a lot like Pikachu, only that it was smaller.

The tiny Pokémon looked up at Bonnie, who widened her eyes in surprise. "Who's that Pokémon?" Serena asked as the little Pokémon jumped out of the bag. It ran off, before turning to face the three.

"Ah! It's a Pichu! But what's it doing inside your bag!?" Clemont gasped. "I... I don't know..." Bonnie answered, fearing of what happened to Dedenne. Suddenly, the Pokémon, Pichu looked as if it was about to tear up.

It shot a Thundershock at Serena and Bonnie, as Clemont gasped. "Bonnie, watch out!" Serena shrieked as she dove towards the ground with the little girl. Clemont dove to the other side to evade the attack.

The missed Thundershock exploded near the building, causing both Ash and Yuki to be startled. Bulbasaur, Hawlucha, and Pikachu all turned in surprise, as they were startled with the small explosion as well.

"What's that!?" "A Thundershock attack!?" The two boys gasped as they both ran over to see their three friends. "Are you okay!?" Ash cried as he and Pikachu ran over, with Yuki, Bulbasaur, and Hawlucha following.

"What happened here?" Yuki asked. "Ugh... That Pokémon... it was in Bonnie's bag!" Serena explained as everyone turned to the frightened Pichu. "Pichu!?" Ash gasped, seeing the pre-evolved Pokémon of Pikachu.

"We've just got to stop it somehow!" Clemont reminded. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted out. Pikachu responded as he shot the Electric Type attack at the little Pichu, snapping it out of its shock.

The Pichu squealed and yelped as it rolled back in surprise. Pikachu ran over, holding onto his pre-evolved form as the group ran over. "Are you okay?" Ash asked. "Pikachu..." "Pichu..." The two Electric Types answered.

Yuki sighed in relief as he got up. "Looks like the little one is just fine now!" Yuki chuckled with a smile. "What a total surprise! And what a totally cute Pokémon!" Serena giggled as she took out her Pokédex.

_"Pichu, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon. The electric sacs on Pichu's cheeks are small. If it tries to store more electricity than they can hold, Pichu will shock itself."_ Serena's Pokédex buzzed.

"Pichu can evolve into a Pikachu! Isn't that right?" Clemont asked. "Right!" Ash agreed as the group turned to the two Electric Types. "Pikachu!" "Pichu! The two cried out with smiles on their faces.

"Hawlucha? Lucha Haw..." Hawlucha asked as he grew suspicious, looking back at Bonnie's small bag. "Hawlucha is asking how in the world Pichu could've gone to your bag..." Yuki explained.

Bonnie began to panic as she flipped her bag over, shaking it down. "Dedenne? Where's Dedenne?... Ah! This isn't my bag!" Bonnie gasped as she widened her eyes, knowing what could've happened.

"Huh!? Not your bag!?" Ash repeated. "Let's go back to the place where you last put your bag." Yuki suggested. Everyone agreed as they all ran back to the Pokémon Center to where Bonnie put her bag in.

"This is it... This is where I put my bag..." Bonnie explained. "I guess that this is possible that somebody took your bag by mistake!" Serena guessed. "You mean, that someone has the same bag as Bonnie, right?" Yuki asked.

"Right... And, if that's the case, then we'll just have to find them." Clemont pointed out. Ash crouched down, putting a hand over Bonnie's shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll just ask Nurse Joy! She'll help!" Ash assured.

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed. So, the five went over to the main desk, asking Nurse Joy about another girl that could've had the same bag as Bonnie. Nurse Joy thought it over, before remembering something.

"There was a little girl who had a similar bag, and was with her older sister, who happens to be a trainer." Nurse Joy explained. "Wigglytuff!" Wigglytuff agreed as it walked over.

"Then, that's it! Do you remember what the little girl looks like?" Ash asked. "Let me see... Ah! I remember! She wore a red ribbon in her hair!" Nurse Joy answered as she explained.

"A red ribbon... Then, that must be the girl... The only problem is... It would take a while to find her if she went somewhere far..." Yuki explained as he crossed his arms with a frown.

"Still... They couldn't have gone that far... Let's all go and look." Ash reminded. "Okay." "Pika!" Serena and Pikachu agreed. Bonnie sighed, feeling bad about what's going to happen to her Pokémon.

"It's my fault for not paying attention..." Bonnie groaned. Clemont put a hand on her shoulder with a smile. "Now, don't worry. We'll find Dedenne." Clemont assured with a smile.

Yuki crouched down, smiling at the little Electric Type. "And Pichu, you don't have to worry about a thing. We'll find your trainer and your little girl, too!" Yuki promised with a smile.

"Hawlucha." Hawlucha replied, as he crossed his arms. "Pichu!" Pichu cried out with a nod and a happy smile.

So, the four trainers and Bonnie all ran around the city to find the little girl and the trainer. They tried to ask the people of where they might be. "Excuse me... Did you see a little girl with a red ribbon in her hair? We really need to find her!" Ash called out.

As everyone looked around, Serena blinked, seeing a man walking by. "Huh? Hey, Ash! Look!" Serena called. Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie turned to see a man walking by with a red ribbon in his hands.

"A red ribbon!" Ash pointed out. "Hey, you! Wait!" Bonnie cried out as they all ran after the man. Yuki, however, had something else in his mind. "Haw?" Hawlucha asked, confused.

"A girl with a red ribbon... Ah! There! There she is!" Yuki called out. The Wrestling Pokémon turned to see a little girl in a small blue dress running by. She had a red ribbon in her hair.

And, she seemed to be carrying a small, yellow bag that looked just like Bonnie's! "That bag... That must be where Dedenne is... HEY! Hey, kid! Wait up!" Yuki called out, running after her.

"Hawlucha!" Hawlucha called as he and his human partner ran after the little girl with the red ribbon in her hair. As the Fighting duo ran to the little girl, Yuki grabbed her shoulder and turned her around.

The little girl squealed in shock of being turned around by a complete stranger. "Eek! Ah... Who... Who are you?" The little girl asked. Yuki was about to answer when something came out of the yellow bag.

It was Dedenne! "Dedenne!" The small Pokémon cried out with a smile. "I knew it! Dedenne, there you are!" Yuki cried out, holding the Electric-Fairy Type Pokémon, with Hawlucha sighing in relief.

"Um... I'm confused... Are you this little one's trainer?" The little girl asked. Yuki blinked, before realizing he had startled a girl. "Oh no... Sorry... This Dedenne belongs to a friend of mine." Yuki answered.

He crouched down, looking at the girl. "Are you perhaps... Pichu's trainer?" Yuki asked, causing the little girl to widen her eyes. "P-Pichu!? Oh, do you know where my sister's Pichu is!? I was supposed to take care of her and..." The little girl exclaimed.

The Hawlucha Boy shushed her with a smile and told her to calm down. "Slow down. One at a time. Yes, I know where your sister's Pichu is. It's with a couple of friends of mine." Yuki answered.

He then stood back up, continuing. "You see, you kind of accidentally switched your bag with my friend's little sister! She has your bag with Pichu, while you have her bag with Dedenne!" Yuki explained.

The little girl sighed, then smiled in relief. "Oh... What a relief!" The girl sighed. The Hawlucha Boy sighed as he looked at Dedenne. "Now, let's see if we can get back with the others, alright?" Yuki reminded.

He looked at Dedenne, who for some reason was missing again. "What!?" "Haw!?" "Ah! Oh no!" The three gasped in shock as they looked around for Dedenne once again.

"No, not again... Dedenne, where did you go!?" Yuki called out. "Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha called.

So, Dedenne was at first separated from the group until Yuki and Hawlucha found it together again. But now, Dedenne is missing again! Will Yuki and Hawlucha find it again, or will it be too late?

Stay tuned for some more search and some Pokémon actions!

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Tackle, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 26: Befriend the Opposite! Find Dedenne!**

**Chapter 27: A Ninja Against Martial Arts!**

**Chapter 28: Froakie VS Hawlucha VS Frogadier!?**

**Chapter 29: The PokéFlute Needed to Awaken!**

**Chapter 30: A Trade Worth for the Price!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Excuse me... Have you seen a little girl with a red ribbon in her hair somewhere?... Oh man... Now, both Yuki and Hawlucha are missing!

Bonnie: Dedenne... If we can't find Dedenne, then I don't know what I'm going to do...

Serena: Bonnie, don't worry! I'm sure we can find that girl and get Dedenne back!

Lyn: Oh... So, she's the one that has my bag and Pichu? I want to get back to Pichu and my sister right now!

Yuki: Okay then... Let's go, then! I'm sure my friends aren't that far!

Bonnie: Ah! Dedenne, there you are... I'm so glad... I'm so glad that you're safe!


	26. Befriend the Opposite! Find Dedenne!

**Chapter 26: Befriend the Opposite! Find Dedenne!**

Last time on "Pokémon Kalos Journey", the group were all making their way for the next town's Pokémon Center to have all their Pokémon checked up, when Bonnie noticed that Dedenne was suddenly gone.

Everyone searched around for the Electric-Fairy Type until Serena found it, looking at a berry tree. Once it was found, everyone was at the Pokémon Center, getting their Pokémon checked up.

Once the recovery was done, Ash suggested a battle between him and Yuki, with the Hawlucha Boy agreeing to it. So, it was Pikachu battling against Bulbasaur, until the battle was interrupted by an Electric attack.

Everyone turned their attention to a Pichu who was in Bonnie's bag for some strange reason. Bonnie then deduced that this wasn't her bag, and that someone else has her bag with Dedenne in it.

So, the group ran around to find the girl who could've taken Dedenne and Bonnie's small bag. As Yuki and Hawlucha were searching around, they spotted the girl with the similar description of her.

The Fighting duo catch up to the girl and with her, they find Dedenne! How will things go for the Hawlucha Boy when he'll try to get Dedenne to reunite with its trainer and caretaker?

He looked at Dedenne, who for some reason went missing once again. "What!?" "Haw!?" "Ah! Oh no!" All three of them gasped in shock as they looked around for the Electric-Fairy Type once more.

"No... Not again... Dedenne, where did you go!?" Yuki called out. "Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha called. The girl frantically searched for Dedenne, frowning. "Oh no... I don't see that little one anywhere!" The girl groaned.

Hawlucha glanced around, before spotting the little Pokémon. "Cha! Hawlucha!" Hawlucha called, pointing at Dedenne. "Ah... There! Dedenne!" Yuki called as he and his partner ran for the little one.

"There you are!" The girl called as she followed the Fighting duo to the Antenna Pokémon, with Yuki kneeling down to look at it. "Dedenne... Why did you run off like that again?" Yuki asked.

Before Dedenne could answer, the Wrestling Pokémon chuckled and pointed to where the Antenna Pokémon was staring at. "Lucha Haw..." Hawlucha explained, pointing at a doughnut truck.

"Oh... I get it! You want to have a doughnut, don't you?" The girl giggled. "Dedenne!" Dedenne cried out happily with a nod. The Hawlucha Boy frowned, knowing that would mean giving away more snacks.

"But... It's not even mealtime yet..." Yuki reminded as Hawlucha folded his arms. "Haw cha..." Hawlucha sighed, telling his human partner to just leave them be. For that, Yuki seemed to agree.

"You're right... We should just leave them be..." Yuki muttered with a sigh. Dedenne cheered for another snack coming up as the girl got up, running to the doughnut truck to buy a doughnut.

"Uh, excuse me!? I was wondering if we could get a few doughnuts, please?" The girl asked. "Dedenne!" Dedenne cried out for the food at the same time. As they were ordering doughnuts, Yuki glanced back at the town.

"I wonder how Ash and the others are doing... None of us have anything to contact each other with... Did they find Pichu's trainer?" Yuki asked himself as he bit his lips. "Cha..." Hawlucha replied, looking at the town as well.

**Meanwhile...**

While Yuki was with the girl, Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were all searching around for Dedenne and the little girl with the red ribbon in her hair. They were apparently asking people some questions.

"I was wondering if you seen a little girl with a red ribbon in her hair..." Serena explained. The woman with her son frowned and sadly shook her head. "No, I haven't. Sorry." The woman answered.

Clemont and Bonnie were asking a man with a Furfrou, but got the same negative result. "Okay... Thanks." Clemont sighed. For Ash, he seemed to have gotten an answer from someone.

As they all met up, the Kanto trainer explained his news. "Hey! A woman told me that she saw a little girl with a red ribbon in her hair at the park!" Ash explained, running over to his three friends.

He then looked around, frowning. "But... I wonder where Yuki and Hawlucha is, though..." Ash wondered as he looked around. "He must be looking for Dedenne in a different way..." Serena guessed.

**Back to Yuki and the girl...**

"Here!" The girl replied, handing a piece of doughnut to Dedenne. The Antenna Pokémon's eyes sparkled as he accepted the piece and began eating it. The girl giggled as she took her piece and began eating.

"It's yummy!" The girl commented as the two ate. The Hawlucha Boy and Hawlucha watched as they were eating up the doughnut. Recalling of what Clemont said, Yuki made his reminder.

"I'm glad that you like it, but... It's not a good idea to give Pokémon so many snacks at once, you know..." Yuki explained, as he gained a confused look from the little girl. "Huh? Why not?" The girl asked.

"Didn't someone tell you? Give too many snacks to your Pokémon and they won't be hungry. It's important for them to have meal times at a proper time." Yuki explained, making his lecture.

"Lucha Haw cha." Hawlucha agreed, nodding along. "Oh... I see..." The girl sighed as she pouted. They all turned to see Dedenne finishing up its doughnut piece, giving the girl an idea.

"I know!... Just stay still, okay?" The girl asked as she took a ribbon out of her small pouch bag. Yuki blinked in curiosity, with Dedenne in confusion. "Ah ha! So cute!" The girl commented happily.

Hawlucha sweat dropped, seeing that the girl had made a ribbon on the Antenna Pokémon's ear. The Hawlucha Boy thought it over about Pokémon ownership. "Was she even allowed to do that?" Yuki thought.

He then shook it off, calling to the girl. "Oh hey... I don't think you told me your name." Yuki reminded, leaving the girl to answer him. "I'm Lyn! What's your name?" Lyn asked, with the Hawlucha Boy answering.

"I'm Yuki! And this is my partner, Hawlucha!" Yuki explained, gesturing to his Wrestling Pokémon. "Haw cha cha!" Hawlucha explained as she showed off his muscles as Lyn awed in amazement.

"So cool!" Lyn commented. She then recalled something as she smiled sheepishly. "Pichu is really cute... And I care about it a whole bunch... But, I also like that Pokémon too!" Lyn explained.

Yuki frowned, wondering what she was thinking. "You're not... thinking of... taking Dedenne as your own? I mean... This Dedenne belongs to a friend of mine... And she has Pichu with her." Yuki explained.

That caused Lyn to lose her smile as she sighed. "Oh... right... I guess your friend is looking for that little guy..." Lyn agreed as she sighed. Dedenne then ran over as Yuki placed a hand on Lyn's shoulder.

"Tell you what. Why don't we all go back to the Pokémon Center? Maybe we'll find Pichu and my other friends there!" Yuki suggested, leaving the little girl to smile. "Okay! That sounds like a good idea!" Lyn agreed.

So, with everything settled, the two left with Hawlucha and Dedenne as they all ran back to the Pokémon Center to wait for Ash and the others, along with Pichu and its trainer.

But, as soon as the two left, Ash, Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie came by as they all looked around. "Hah... hah... This is it! This is where the woman saw her going to the park!" Ash explained.

Serena frowned, looking back at Bonnie. "I guess she already left... Maybe Yuki is with her! But... if we don't find her... I'm afraid it may be too late..." Serena guessed as Clemont looked back.

"Oh! I just thought of something! But... I just need some time." Clemont explained, with Ash looking back with a serious glare. "It sounds to me like you have a plan!" Ash guessed.

"Yeah! There's something that I want to do that might just do the trick!" Clemont explained as he ran up to the top of the hill, gathering his tools and stuff. He prepared to make a machine as the others waited.

"I wonder if Pichu's trainer saw what happened yet?" Serena asked, worried. "I sure hope we can find Dedenne soon... Along with both Yuki and Hawlucha..." Ash agreed, looking back.

The two looked to see Pikachu and Pichu playing together as both of them ran around happily. They were playing with Bonnie, playing tag with each other. The three ran to an apple tree, where Pichu had stopped.

It looked up at the apple tree in wonder as both Bonnie and Pikachu noticed its attention. The Electric Type looked up at the tree, and smiled, knowing of what his pre-evolved form wanted.

"Pikachu?" Pikachu asked, pointing at the apples. Pichu blinked, as its evolved form ran to the tree, climbing on it. The Mouse Pokémon then picked an apple out of a tree branch, and threw it to Pichu!

Startled, Pichu ran and grabbed the apple before biting on it. Bonnie giggled as she saw the two Electric Types eating apples together, with each having one. Ash and Serena walked over, both smiling.

"They look like they're from the same family!" Ash pointed out, seeing the two getting along. "Yeah! They do! Bonnie, don't you think so, too?... Bonnie?" Serena exclaimed before she looked at the little girl.

Clemont's little sister wasn't answering, which looked like she was thinking about Dedenne. She heard sniffling, as the Vaniville girl smiled softly. "Don't worry, Bonnie. We'll find Dedenne soon!" Serena assured.

"H-Hm?" Bonnie hiccupped, wiping her tears away. Seeing her cry caused the little Pichu to frown. So, the little Electric Type jumped onto Bonnie, and began nuzzling her face!

That made the little girl better as she giggled and smiled. "Thanks, Pichu..." Bonnie giggled, holding the little Electric Type. She then nuzzled Pikachu's pre-evolved form back, while the others chuckled in relief.

**Back to Yuki...**

The Hawlucha Boy and Lyn were walking around the town, trying to find the Pokémon Center. Yuki, for some reason, didn't seem to know where they were. "This is funny... I don't remember going this way at all!" Yuki admitted.

Lyn frowned as she looked around. "I don't know which way to get to the Pokémon Center, either... Are we lost?" Lyn asked. That caused the Hawlucha Boy to cringe as he made a fake smile.

"N-No... We should be fine. I just have to know where we are, and then we might get some directions to the Pokémon Center!" Yuki assured. "Oh... Okay..." Lyn sighed, feeling doubtful.

"Lucha... Hawlucha Haw." Hawlucha muttered to his human partner as Yuki narrowed his eyes. "What... Do you have any other plans, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked, causing the Wrestling Pokémon to sweat drop.

"Cha." Hawlucha answered, shaking his head. With that said, Yuki, Hawlucha, and Lyn began to walk slowly to where the Pokémon Center might be. As they were walking, Hawlucha noticed something.

"Cha!? Hawlucha!" Hawlucha exclaimed in shock, pointing at Lyn's yellow bag. Both humans turned in surprise as they looked at the small bag as well. It was empty, much to their surprise.

"HUH!? Gone again!?" Lyn shrieked. "Not again... Dedenne!" Yuki groaned as he face palmed. Frantically, Lyn ran off, leaving the Hawlucha Boy and his Fighting Type partner behind.

"I can't believe it keeps running off! Where are you!?" Lyn shrieked as she searched for Dedenne. "What... HEY! You can't run off like that alone!" Yuki warned as he ran after the girl.

"Lucha!" Hawlucha called, causing the two to run after her. As they were all running, Lyn suddenly stopped, as she looked at a shop window. The Hawlucha Boy and Hawlucha stopped as well to see.

The display showed lots of Pokémon Dolls. But, there was something strange. One of the dolls looked just like Dedenne, and it seemed to be moving! "What the... Dedenne!?" Yuki gasped.

"What is it doing in there!?" Lyn exclaimed in shock. The two humans ran into the shop to collect Dedenne, while Hawlucha stayed behind, groaning in disappointment. "Cha... Haw cha..." Hawlucha grumbled to himself.

He said to himself: "Why does this always happen?". Later, the two got the Antenna Pokémon out of the shop, as the little girl sighed in relief. "Aw... I'm glad I put that ribbon on you..." Lyn sighed.

She nuzzled the sleeping Antenna Pokémon with the Fighting duo watching. "I can only imagine the things you put your trainer through with your games..." Lyn giggled slightly.

That caused Yuki to sweat drop, knowing that the trainer Lyn could be saying is Clemont, with the caretaker as Bonnie. He looked at the sky, sighing. "I wonder how the others are doing..." Yuki muttered.

"Cha..." Hawlucha agreed as he looked up at the sky, too.

**To Ash and the others...**

"Heh heh heh! Thank you for your patience! The future is now, thanks to science! Clemontic Gear, on! Here is my new invention that will solve our problem in an instant!" Clemont declared.

He revealed a machine that looked like a solar ray with the machine at the bottom, followed by an electricity amount meter. "I call it... the Radio-Wave Amplification Device!" Clemont announced.

Ash, Serena, and Bonnie were all confused. "Radio?..." "Ampli-what?" "Uh... Device?" The three all asked together. "Pikachu?" Even Pikachu was confused at the radio-wave invention.

"Allow me to explain! If you recall, Dedenne was able to sense Pikachu's electricity! This invention here converts Pikachu's electricity into radio-waves and amplifies them!" Clemont reminded.

He recalled the time when he, Ash, and Bonnie all met Dedenne for the first time, which was the same day when Ash had caught Fletchling. "If we broadcast those waves, Dedenne should be able to sense them... I think!" Clemont explained.

The Kanto trainer immediately grew impressed with the device as his eyes sparkled in admiration. "Oh wow! Science is so amazing!" Ash exclaimed in delight. The Lumiose Gym Leader chuckled before turning to Pikachu.

"May I have some of your assistance, Pikachu?" Clemont asked. Pikachu answered with a nod as he was set onto the machine by Clemont. "We're counting on you, Pikachu!" Ash assured.

"You can do it, Pikachu!" Bonnie cried out in encouragement. With everything in place, the Lumiose Gym Leader held onto the lever, as he looked at the Kanto trainer in his signal.

"We're all set! Now, Ash! It's your turn!" Clemont called. Ash nodded, as he gave the order. "Right... Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash called. The Electric Type nodded as he unleashed his power.

The electricity began to power up the machine as Clemont got ready. "Alright! Here we go, then! And... FIRE!" Clemont yelled. He pushed onto the lever, which activated the machine.

The stored electricity was shot into the air. Once it was high enough, it was enough to create radio-waves! Now, all it needed to do was to attract Dedenne to them.

**To Yuki and Hawlucha...**

Yuki and Lyn were still walking to the Pokémon Center along with Dedenne and Hawlucha. As they were walking, Hawlucha blinked, sensing something. He looked up at the sky, and widened his eyes.

"Cha! Hawlucha!" Hawlucha called as he pulled onto Yuki's jacket sleeve. That caught the Hawlucha Boy's attention as he turned to his Wrestling Pokémon. "What is it, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked.

He glanced at the sky and noticed the radio-waves. "What the... Are those... radio-waves?" Yuki asked. "Cha..." Hawlucha replied in amazement. Dedenne seemed to have sensed it as it jumped out of Lyn's bag!

"Huh!? Hey! Where are you going!? Wait!" Lyn shouted as she ran after the Antenna Pokémon. The Fighting duo turned, noticing another chase going on. The Hawlucha Boy narrowed his eyes.

"Dedenne must've sensed it, too! Could it be another one of Clemont's inventions?" Yuki asked himself, with Hawlucha scratching his head in question. But, seeing that Lyn and Dedenne were far ahead, they ignored those thoughts at first.

The chase began with Hawlucha and Yuki running after Lyn and Dedenne. "H-Hey! Hold it right there!" "Cha! Hawlucha!" The Fighting duo shouted as they ran after the two little ones.

**Back to Ash and the others...**

Clemont frowned at his machine, seeing that the energy level didn't seem to fit right. "What's wrong?" Ash asked. The Lumiose Gym Leader looked back, explaining his guessed problem.

"I think it needs more power to function more correctly!" Clemont explained. Ash narrowed his eyes and nodded. Alright, Pikachu! Give it more power!" Ash called. Pikachu sighed, before shooting a more power Thunderbolt attack.

The energy level of the machine started to nearly reach the top, as more power shot from the solar ray. "Are you sure that this is safe?" Serena asked as she covered her mouth in doubt.

"Don't worry about it! Science can do anything!" Clemont assured. "Okay, Pikachu! Just keep it going!" Ash called. However, as he said that, the machine began to overload, causing it to shake!

The electricity inside the machine exploded, taking everyone else with the explosion, too. They all screamed as they were shocked and knocked back onto the ground, with the machine getting destroyed.

As the smoke passed, everyone except Pikachu and Pichu had their hairs puffed up. "Ugh..." Ash groaned as he slowly got up. "Yep... I knew it..." Serena sighed, shaking her head.

"This machine went boom, too!" Bonnie pointed out in no surprise. Both Pikachu and Pichu all blinked in surprise to see that the invention had exploded and failed the group once again.

"Oh no... To think that it was functioning perfectly!" Clemont groaned. The Kanto trainer sighed as he put his puffed hair back to normal. "Looks like we're gonna have to search for that little girl and Yuki by foot again!" Ash sighed.

"Yeah, I guess so..." Serena agreed, frowning. But, before anyone else could react or move, there was a familiar voice came by, saying Pichu's name. "Oh! Pichu!" A girl called out.

Everyone turned, with Pichu excitedly running out of Bonnie's bag. The small Electric Type ran to the teenage girl running towards it as it leapt to the girl's arms. "Pichu! Oh, thank goodness!" The girl exclaimed happily.

The two hugged each other, before the teenager remembered something. "Oh... But, where is Lyn?" The girl asked. Pichu cocked its head in confusion, which instantly answered the question.

"Uh... Are you?" Clemont called. The girl looked up, noticing the group. "Hold on... I remember you all back at the Pokémon Center!" The girl recalled as Ash widened his eyes.

"Uh... Does that mean that you're Pichu's trainer?" Ash asked. "Yes... Yes, I am! My name's Lena! Were you the ones that found Pichu?" Lena asked. Serena frowned as she shook her head.

"I'm not sure if found is the right word..." Serena answered. Bonnie was frantic as she jumped to the question of where Dedenne could be. "Dedenne!? Where is Dedenne!?" Bonnie shrieked.

Lena blinked in surprise before Clemont suggested a better place to talk. So, everyone headed near the fountain of the park, where the group explained about the accidental bag switch.

"Dedenne, huh?... It's probably with my little sister, Lyn..." Lena guessed, which Ash asked once again. "Okay... So, where is she?" Ash asked. The older sister of Lyn shook her head with a frown.

"Well, to be honest, I don't know..." Lena answered, much to the group's shock. "So... What happened?" Serena asked. Lena looked down at Pichu, and took a guess of her little sister's current location.

"Lyn probably realized that she had the wrong bag! I would think that she is looking for Pichu, now!" Lena explained with a sigh. "I see... But, you say that you don't know, right?" Ash asked.

"I don't! I've been looking everywhere for her just now! For all I know, she could've left town!" Lena guessed. "But hold on... Yuki and Hawlucha left us, because maybe he found your little sister!" Serena guessed.

"Yuki?" Lena asked in confusion. "He's a friend of ours who has a Hawlucha! He's got to be with Lyn!" Ash assured. "We all should hurry, then!" Clemont suggested, with the others agreeing.

"You're right! Let's all split up and search for the widest area we could think of!" Ash suggested. "Yeah! Let's all give it our all!" Serena agreed. "Right!" "Pichu!" Everyone, even Pichu agreed with the decision.

So, with that settled, the group and Lena made their ways to different directions to search for Lyn, Dedenne, and the Fighting duo also.

**Back to Yuki and Hawlucha...**

The chase for Lyn and Dedenne led both Yuki and Hawlucha out of town, to where the fields of berries were. "Where are you going!? Slow down, please!" Lyn yelled, running after Dedenne.

"Dedenne! Wait! Hold it right there!" "Cha Lucha!" Yuki and Hawlucha called out as they kept running. As they were all running, Lyn blinked, seeing where Dedenne might be going.

"Hey... I think the Pokémon Center might be that way!" Lyn guessed. The guess caused Yuki to look where they were going. Dedenne was running towards the berry field, causing the Hawlucha Boy to frown.

"Since when does a Pokémon Center settle with the berries?" Yuki asked himself, with Hawlucha frowning. The three all gave chase to the Antenna Pokémon, until it ran out of sight.

"Great... Dedenne is gone... Again!" Yuki groaned as he slumped down, feeling tired of this situation. "Hawlucha cha..." Hawlucha sighed, comforting his best friend with a pat on the shoulder.

"But... Where are we now?" Lyn asked, looking around. "I'm guessing this is what attracted Dedenne. A berry field..." Yuki answered as he got up. The three walked across the field, searching for Dedenne.

As they were walking, Lyn widened his eyes, noticing the Electric Type. "Ah! There it is!" Lyn exclaimed as she ran over to where she saw Dedenne disappear to. "Hey, wait!" Yuki called.

He and his Wrestling Pokémon ran after the girl, until she stopped to look underneath the bushes. "Hey! There you- AH!?" Lyn started, then shrieked. "What..." Yuki started as he looked down as well.

He then widened his eyes to see that Dedenne was being chased by a Beedrill while holding a few berries in its mouth! "Gah! Beedrill!" Yuki yelped as he jumped back. Hawlucha glared at the Bug Type, ready to battle.

However, the Bug-Poison Type didn't seem to notice the humans and Hawlucha as its attention was focused on Dedenne. It lunged at Dedenne was a Poison Sting attack! Dedenne got out of the way, but the ribbon was ripped off of it.

The blow blew the Antenna Pokémon into the air as Yuki and Hawlucha gasped. "Ah!" "Dedenne, no!" "Lucha!" The three gasped. However, their worries were gone when Dedenne shot a Thundershock attack!

It zapped Beedrill before the Bug Type flew away to escape. "Whoa..." "Cha..." The Fighting duo was amazed at the power as Lyn squealed in triumph. "Oh wow! You're really, really strong!" Lyn complimented.

Dedenne smirked as he bragged for his first victory. However, a few seconds passed as more Beedrill flew by angrily. Lyn screamed as she held onto the Antenna Pokémon tightly.

"Great... There's more of them! Run!" Yuki yelled. He grabbed Lyn's hand, forcing her to run alongside him and Hawlucha. "AH! HELP!" Lyn cried, seeing the Beedrill group flying towards them.

Suddenly, Lyn tripped, causing her to squeal and let go of Yuki's hand. "What... NO!" Yuki yelled, seeing that he lost Lyn's grip. The girl was surrounded by the Beedrill group, as she screamed in fright.

"No good... Hawlucha! Give them a piece of your Focus Blast!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha nodded and shot the powered up attack, which exploded in the middle of the Beedrill group.

The Beedrill group was weakened, but they weren't finished yet. They turned their attention to the Fighting duo as they got ready. "Hey! Why don't you all pick on someone your own sizes!" Yuki taunted.

"Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha taunted, showing them a come gesture. One of the Beedrills grew ticked off as it shot into the air to attack. "H-Hey... LOOK OUT!" "Dedenne!" Lyn and Dedenne screamed.

Before anyone else could react, a Thunderbolt zapped the attacking Beedrill, much to the humans, Dedenne, and Hawlucha's surprise. "That was... Thunderbolt!? But, that could only mean..." Yuki started.

His shock was interrupted by a familiar voice and people running towards him and the little girl. "Lyn!" "Yuki! Hawlucha!" Lena and Ash shouted out. "It's Lena!" "Ash? Everyone?" Lyn and Yuki replied.

The little girl ran for her little sister, as the two hugged each other. "Lyn, are you okay?" Lena asked. "Y-Yeah! This big guy and his Pokémon here saved me!" Lyn answered as she sniffled a little.

"Yuki! How about you?" Serena asked in concern. "I'm fine, thanks. And you all couldn't have picked a better time to help!" Yuki complimented. "Lucha!" Hawlucha replied with a nod.

He stood between Pikachu and Dedenne, as the three all nodded to each other. "Pikachu!" "Dedenne!" "Hawlucha!" Ash, Clemont, and Yuki shouted out. Their Pokémon were ready as the boys shouted out their attacks.

"Use Thunderbolt!" "Focus Blast, let's go!" "Dedenne, use Thundershock!" The three attacks zapped and exploded on the Beedrill group, sending them away flying into the air!

Once they were all gone, Ash smirked, making a triumphant fist. "Yes!" "Yay, Dedenne!" Ash and Bonnie cheered. Clemont's sister ran over to her Electric Type as she embraced the Antenna Pokémon.

Lyn smiled, before tears streamed out of her eyes. "WAAHH! I'm... sorry!" Lyn wailed as she hugged her older sister. Lena smiled softly as she hugged her little sister back. "Now, it's alright. I'm just glad that you're okay." Lena assured.

Lyn kept crying as Bonnie watched. She felt tears coming out of her eyes too, as she started to sniffle a little. Dedenne blinked in surprise as it looked up at its caretaker, who started to cry.

"Oh... Dedenne... I'm so sorry... WAAHHH!" Bonnie yelled as she started to cry. Clemont sighed in relief as he comforted his little sister. The two little girls cried before they stopped a little.

At the same time, Ash's stomach growled, causing him to feel a little embarrassed. "Uh... I guess, I should be sorry, too..." Ash sighed. Everyone laughed at the Kanto trainer's embarrassment as they all prepared for supper.

**That evening...**

Supper was ready as Clemont prepared the food. Yuki helped out too as they spread the meal around the table. Serena poured some tea to drink. "Alright, dig in, everyone! It's all ready!" Serena exclaimed.

"Thank you!" Lena thanked as Ash grinned at the meal set up. "It looks delish!" Ash admitted as he got ready to eat. Lena looked at the Hawlucha Boy, saying her words of thanks.

"Yuki, right? I'd like to thank you and Hawlucha for taking care of Lyn for me! I don't think that she would still be here if you haven't been around..." Lena thanked, causing Yuki to smile back.

"It's nothing, Lena. I'm just glad to be helpful." "Haw cha!" Yuki and Hawlucha replied with smiles on their faces. Serena then noticed both Dedenne and Pichu sighing.

"Dedenne? Pichu? Aren't you two going to eat?" Serena asked. Both Electric Type shook their heads in response, saying something like they were full of some sort. "Dedenne..." "Pichu!" The two called out.

That caused both Lena and Clemont to glare at their little sisters as they got up, calling out to them. "Stop right there, Lyn! Have you been giving out snacks AGAIN?" Lena snapped.

"Bonnie! I told you-!" Clemont snapped, causing the two girls to cringe as they nervously looked back. Slowly and cautiously, the two little girls turned to face their older siblings before sticking their tongue out.

They then ran off, resulting for Clemont and Lena to chase after them! Yuki, Ash, and Serena all watched, with Pikachu, Hawlucha, Dedenne, and Pichu as they all laughed nervously at the sibling battle.

Nevertheless, everyone has been reunited once again. Lyn and Lena reunited together with Pichu, while Yuki, Hawlucha, and Dedenne have reunited with Bonnie and the others!

How will the rest of the journey go for the group?

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 27: A Ninja Against Martial Arts!**

**Chapter 28: Froakie VS Hawlucha VS Frogadier!?**

**Chapter 29: The PokéFlute Needed to Awaken!**

**Chapter 30: A Trade Worth for the Price!**

**Chapter 31: Brainwash on Hawlucha and Pikachu!?**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Alright, Froakie! You got your training going pretty well! The Cyllage Gym should be no problem to us!

Sanpei: Hm hm hm... I hardly believe that you could fare against the Cyllage Gym at that kind of little training...

Bonnie: Whoa! That guy's cool! He's a ninja! And he's got a Frogadier!

Yuki: And who are you to judge us on how we should train our Pokémon? You're probably no better than us!

Sanpei: Oh really? Then perhaps you would like to show me on how you and your Pokémon bond together in a battle!

Ash: A battle? That shouldn't be a problem! Let's do it, Froakie! Let's show that guy on how we can win!


	27. A Ninja Against Martial Arts!

**Chapter 27: A Ninja Against Martial Arts!**

"Alright, Froakie! Way to go!" Ash complimented. "Froak!" Froakie croaked as he launched his frubbles onto the rocks. The sticky frubbles hit the rocks, as they were used for targets for practice.

On the way to Cyllage City, Yuki, Ash, and the others were currently on a break, with Ash training Froakie for their next Gym challenge. "Now! I want you to face the rocks and use Bubble!" Ash called.

The Water Type nodded as he leapt, shooting Bubbles at the rocks, which made a direct hit. As more rocks were destroyed by Bubble, Ash was getting more pumped up and excited for Froakie.

"Now! Use Water Pulse!" Ash shouted out. The Bubble Frog Pokémon launched his spiral Water Type attack, which destroyed the boulder at the top of the waterfall. Yuki watched in amusement as he smirked.

"Both Ash and Froakie are getting determined, are they?" Yuki asked, glancing at Hawlucha. "Hawlucha Haw..." Hawlucha agreed as he folded his arms in satisfaction. The two looked as Froakie landed on the ground.

"Froakie Froak!" Froakie exclaimed, feeling pumped up as well. "You still have much work to do..." A voice echoed out. That got everyone's attention as they turned to hear the voice.

Froakie narrowed his eyes, as he shot his frubbles at a tree up ahead. The Hawlucha Boy narrowed his eyes as he looked at where Froakie hit his frubbles. "Who's there?" Yuki asked.

Suddenly, the camouflage fell, revealing a ninja like trainer! Everyone gasped as he smirked, interested. "So... You found me, eh?" The ninja smirked. "What..." "Cha..." The Fighting duo looked at the ninja, who smirked.

"Wow! It's a ninja!" Bonnie exclaimed in amazement. Everyone else was amazed, as the Bubble Frog Pokémon landed on the ground, glaring at the ninja trainer. "Froak!" Froakie snapped.

The ninja then used his technique, attempting to hide once again. "Now! Ninja Leaf Shroud!" The ninja shouted. A huge whirlwind surrounded him... As it disappeared, the ninja had disappeared, too!

"He's gone!?" Ash exclaimed in shock. Yuki narrowed his eyes, glaring at where the ninja had vanished from.

**[Pokémon: XY Volt Opening (English Subbed)]**

(Pikachu was shown kissing the screen until he ran with Ash, Yuki, and Hawlucha)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying,**_

(A scene showed a route crossroad, with Meowstic and a group of Swirlix floating by)

_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark, **_

(A grassfield where Vivillon, and Swanna groups are flying at a nearby town)

(Underwater where Water Type were swimming underwater)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were seeing a town from a bridge view)

_**Ice, Normal, Fighting, Fire,**_

(A flower field shows; a group of macarons show; a rainy night shows)

_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy,**_

(The group runs along the route in the city)

_**Come on, from here on out it's an adventure and there's only light ahead**_

(Ash's blue background show him and Pikachu sharing sandwiches together)

_**The sky overflows with a rain of tears but we push through**_

(Serena's pink background show her picking a hat, while Fennekin happily runs around her)

_**Come on, use your courage to be better than you were yesterday**_

(Clemont's blue and yellow background show him inventing a machine before it explodes, while Bonnie runs with Dedenne and Chespin)

_**Treasure any encounter  
****  
Heart's pounding, Challenger!**_

(Yuki's green background shows him and Hawlucha sparring with each other, while Litleo, Heracross, and Bulbasaur cheers)

_**Someday, my dream will be fulfilled **_

(Ash, Yuki, Hawlucha, and Pikachu were running only to be blocked by a huge cliff)

(Silhouettes of Kalos Gym Leaders shine in front of the two)

_**That's what you have taught me, and that's why I travel**_

(Serena place a hand on Ash's left shoulder, Clemont places a hand on Yuki's right shoulder, Bonnie grabs the two's hands together)

(The group runs to the field on their journey)

_**As the red ring of bonds spreads far and wide**_

I'll definitely reach out to everyone with this energy I suddenly feel

(Ash and Yuki make attack calls; Pikachu and Hawlucha fights and defeat the trainers' Honedge and Pangoro)

_**This blue planet of ours is shining with hope**_

(Clemont calls for attacks; Chespin uses Pin Missile, and Bunnelby uses Dig)

(Bonnie cheers, as Dedenne uses Thundershock)

(Serena calls for an attack; Fennekin uses Ember)

(Yuki calls for attacks; Bulbasaur uses Razor Leaf, Litleo uses Ember, Heracross uses Megahorn, and Hawlucha uses Karate Chop)

_**The yellow flowers bloom**_

(Ash calls for attacks: Froakie uses Water Pulse, Fletchling uses Steel Wing, as Pikachu uses Electro Ball)

(A Mega Evolution sign appears; Mega Lucario roars, sending huge power)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying**_  
_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark**_  
_**Ice, Normal, Fire, Fighting**_  
_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy**_

(Xerneas and Yvetal appears; The Japanese opening title appears)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie smile at the viewers with their Pokémon)

**(Title opening ends)**

"Where could he have gone?" Ash asked, looking around. Both he and Yuki searched around, with Hawlucha and Froakie doing the same. Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes, which Hawlucha noticed first.

Yuki noticed as well, as he called for an attack. "There! Hawlucha! Focus Blast!" Yuki called. The Wrestling Pokémon leapt in the air, launching a Focus Blast at the rustling bushes.

"Use your frubbles!" The ninja's voice shouted out. Suddenly, a large frubble was thrown, colliding with the Focus Blast! The two exploded, surprising everyone with the sudden collision.

"Frubbles?... But, that could only mean..." Yuki thought as he bit his lips. "Come on!" Ash called. He and Froakie ran to where the bushes, only for something to jump out of the bushes and land on a tree branch.

Everyone looked up in surprise to see a Pokémon, which looked like a ninja frog Pokémon. It looked similar to Froakie, but the shape was different. "Who's that Pokémon?" Ash asked, taking out his Pokédex.

"That's a Frogadier... Froakie's evolved form!" Yuki pointed out as he and Hawlucha ran over to the Kanto trainer and his Water Type. "Frogadier?" Ash repeated, as he scanned it.

_"Frogadier, the Bubble Frog Pokémon, and the evolved form of Froakie. Frogadier's speed is unmatched. It can climb a tower over 2,000 feet tall in one minute."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

"The evolved form of Froakie?" Ash repeated. He looked at Froakie, who responded back with a curious tone. Everyone looked back up to see Frogadier leaping from tree to tree with the ninja.

The two landed on the ground, showing off their ninja pose. "It's so cool!" Bonnie squealed in amazement. "Dedenne!" Dedenne agreed as it looked at the two. The two ninja figures turned, with the trainer smiling.

"I am Sanpei! The young, and skillful ninja!" Sanpei explained. Clemont adjusted his glasses, narrowing his eyes in curiosity. "So, you're a ninja?" Clemont asked. "Incredible..." Serena admitted.

"Pika..." Pikachu agreed. "Cha. Lucha..." Hawlucha scoffed, not impressed with the two. Frogadier smirked, feeling interested with the glaring Wrestling Pokémon. The Hawlucha Boy noticed as he smiled a little.

Before he could do anything, though, Ash stepped up, introducing himself. "My name is Ash! You've got an incredible like Frogadier there! How about a battle with me and Froakie?" Ash asked.

Sanpei stood with his arms folded, as he explained his objective. "I've been looking for a suitable opponent for my Frogadier to battle with, but I have my doubts that your Froakie will be powerful enough." Sanpei explained.

"Frog..." Frogadier croaked in agreement. "What!?" "Froak!?" The two snapped, as they glared at the two ninja figures. Ash then took a step, reminding Sanpei of one thing for a battle.

"We'll just have to see and find out!" Ash snapped. "Froakie kie!" Froakie yelled, jumping up and down in frustration. At that point, the ninja smiled and reconsidered his decision.

"Alright then, fine! I accept your challenge!" Sanpei agreed. "Frog..." Frogadier replied, sounding like he was agreeing to the challenge as well.

So, everyone had moved to a bigger spot near the waterfall where Ash and Sanpei could have their battle. Clemont took charge as referee, with him explaining the rules for the battle.

"The one on one battle between Ash and Sanpei, the young ninja is about to begin! The battle will be over when one Pokémon on either side is unable to continue! Is that understood?" Clemont explained.

The two boys nodded in agreement as the two got ready, along with their Water Types. Clemont nodded back as he made the call. "Alright then! Battle, begin!" The Gym Leader declared.

**Sanpei: Frogadier VS Ash: Froakie**

"You may have the first move, Ash!" Sanpei offered. Immediately, the Kanto trainer accepted by making his first move. "I accept! Froakie, use Bubble!" Ash shouted.

Froakie leapt in the air, shooting the Bubble attack at his evolved form. "Dodge it." Sanpei called. Rapidly, Frogadier evaded Bubble, and landed on a tree branch, like where a ninja would dodge to.

"So fast! It's just like with Hawlucha!" Serena pointed out. Yuki nodded as he remembered the time when he battled Ash the first time for Ash's rematch against Viola.

Hawlucha was able to evade most of Ash's Pokémon's attacks with speed, while hitting his opponents with powerful attacks. "Well, we can go fast, too! Froakie, chase after Frogadier, then use Pound!" Ash called.

Froakie leapt in the air, aiming to hit his evolved form. But once again, Sanpei was ready for the attack. "Now, Frogadier! Dodge!" Sanpei shouted. Like Bubble, Pound was dodged as Frogadier got out of the way.

The evolved Water Type had landed on another tree branch, much to Ash's little frustration. "Now, try it again!" Ash called. Froakie shot forward with another Pound attack, only for it to be dodged once again.

It was a game of goose chase as Froakie chased after Frogadier with Pound, which the evolved Pokémon dodged. The Kanto trainer frowned as he narrowed his eyes, trying to think up a strategy.

"Frogadier is fast... In that case, Froakie! Aim for Frogadier, then use Water Pulse!" Ash called. The Bubble Frog Pokémon aimed his charged attack, while trying to track down his opponent.

When he thought the timing was right, Froakie launched the Water Pulse, only for Sanpei to make a countermove once again. "Now, use Smokescreen!" Sanpei shouted, making his ninja hand sign.

Quickly, the evolved Water Type spun, repelling Water Pulse with the Smokescreen move, much to the other's surprise. "It's like a smoke bomb!" Yuki pointed out. "Cha..." Hawlucha agreed.

As the Smokescreen passed, Frogadier was nowhere to be seen! "Ah! Where did Frogadier go!?" Serena asked in surprise. Pikachu looked around, also wondering where Frogadier might be.

Sanpei chuckled and folded his arms. "It's a ninja stealth technique." Sanpei answered. Froakie glared to different places, wondering where his evolved opponent might be at the moment.

"Froakie, concentrate! Use your instincts! Water Pulse!" Ash called. Froakie took a deep breath and concentrated. He attempted to use his instincts to track down his evolved form.

When he found a figure, the Water Type assumed that it was Frogadier, hiding. The Bubble Frog Pokémon launched the Water Pulse attack, which scored a direct hit. "Did it do it!?" Ash asked.

As the dust was blown, Yuki narrowed his eyes. "No... That's not the real one!" Yuki answered. He was proven to be right, when there was only a log with frubbles on it! It fell on the ground, much to Froakie's surprise.

Suddenly, Frogadier appeared out of the water, preparing his surprise attack. "What!?" Ash exclaimed in surprise as he turned. "Now, use Bubble!" Sanpei shouted. Bubble was shot out of Frogadier as Ash tried to counter it.

"Counter it with your Bubble!" Ash called. Froakie shot his Bubble attack, but it was easily overwhelmed by his opponent, causing him to be knocked backwards and skid on the ground.

"Froakie!?" Ash called out in surprise. To his relief, Froakie was able to withstand the attack, as he glared at his evolved opponent. "Use Water Pulse!" Sanpei called. "You use Water Pulse!" Ash shouted back.

The two Water Types shot their Water Pulse attack, which the two collided. However, Frogadier's attack proved to be more powerful as it demolished Froakie's Water Pulse, and hit the opponent!

Froakie yelped as he skidded back once again. But, he showed that he was still okay, much to Ash's relief. "Yeah! Way to go, Froakie!" Ash cheered, encouraging his Water Type.

At the sidelines, both Serena and Bonnie were amazed. "Whoa... Bonnie breathed out. "So, is Frogadier stronger because it's the evolved form of Froakie?" Serena asked in amazement.

Yuki stayed silent as he and Hawlucha watched, both knowing what the results of the battle will be. "Being the evolved form has nothing to do with it! We're going to win using our spirit! Use Water Pulse!" Ash called.

Just before Froakie could launch Water Pulse, Sanpei countered back with his quick move. "Now, Frogadier! Use Quick Attack!" Sanpei shouted. Rapidly and sharply, Frogadier moved, moving like a fast jet!

Froakie widened his eyes in shock, as he tried to get Frogadier. However, it proved to be futile as his evolved form moved too fast for even the others to see correctly. "Oh no!" Serena gasped.

"I'm getting dizzy..." Bonnie groaned, her eyes being a little swirly. "I've never seen a Quick Attack like that!" Clemont pointed out. Yuki watched closely as he felt the sounds coming into his senses.

"Hawlucha, you get that?" Yuki asked. "Cha..." Hawlucha agreed with a nod. Back at the battle, Frogadier charged at Froakie, as Ash tried to make a desperate move. "Dodge it, Froakie!" Ash shouted out.

But, it was too late as the Quick Attack made a direct hit, bashing Froakie into a tree! "Are you okay!?" Ash exclaimed in shock, running over to his Water Type. Sanpei stepped up, attempting to end the battle.

"This battle is over. No one was able to withstand my Frogadier's Quick Attack and continue battling!" Sanpei explained. "Frog." Frogadier replied with a curt nod. Froakie wasn't about to give in yet, though.

He grunted, trying to get up. "That's the spirit! We're just getting warmed up!" Ash reminded. Sanpei let out an amused smirk as he made his next attack. "Alright then! Use Quick Attack again!" Sanpei called.

Frogadier charged forward, aiming to strike a direct hit again. It zipped past Ash and made its way towards Froakie! But, as the Hawlucha Boy watched, Froakie fell one knee, causing him to bite his lips.

"Hawlucha." Yuki called. The Wrestling Pokémon nodded and ran forward, defending Froakie, while attacking Frogadier with Karate Chop! Both Ash and Sanpei widened their eyes in shock.

Even Froakie and Frogadier were in shock, as the evolved Water Type was slammed back, skidding back by the direct hit. Everyone's attention went to Yuki, as the Kanto trainer glared at him.

"Yuki! What was that for!?" Ash snapped. "This battle was already over, Ash. There is no point continuing if your Pokémon showed signs of weakness!" Yuki answered as Hawlucha helped Froakie up.

"Lucha?" Hawlucha asked, while Froakie grunted with a bitter nod. Sanpei shook his head with knowing as he walked up to the Bubble Frog Pokémon. "It was already over. Froakie just wouldn't quit." Sanpei explained.

He picked the little Water Type up before handing him back to Ash. "Froakie..." Ash whispered. The weakened Water Type responded by weakly opening his eyes. Ash's face darkened as he gave a deep sigh.

"I hate to admit it... but, we lost..." Ash admitted bitterly. Serena and Bonnie watched, feeling sorry for the two, while Clemont frowned. Yuki narrowed his eyes, with Hawlucha folding his arms.

**Winner: Sanpei**

Later, after the battle, Ash gave Froakie some stream water to drink. "Here... Drink this." Ash replied. Froakie groaned as he managed to drink the stream water. The Kanto trainer gave a deep sigh, shaking his head.

"We lost, because I didn't put a great strategy... I let you down... Sorry." Ash apologized with a sad smile. By the time he said that, Sanpei and his Water Type walked up, agreeing to Ash's words.

"That's exactly correct." Sanpei agreed. "What was that?" Ash snapped back, glaring the ninja. The ninja trainer glared back at the Kanto trainer, pointing at him with his criticizing words.

"And not only that, your Froakie still needs a lot more training... You completely misread the way our battle progressed and Froakie trusted in its power more than it should have! You were fortunate that Froakie didn't take more damage then it did now." Sanpei snapped.

Ash gritted his teeth, not wanting to believe it, but he knew that it was true. Yuki watched as Ash gritted his teeth, getting more stress than ever. "Ash..." Yuki whispered, while frowning at the same time.

"Here." Sanpei replied. He handed Ash a small, black pill, which left Ash very confused. "What's that?" Ash asked. "It's a remedy that's been formulated by an energy root. It will replenish Froakie's energy." Sanpei assured.

He fed the little Water Type with the pill. A few moments later, Froakie widened his eyes, leaping out of Ash's grip, while flailing high in the air. "FROAK!?" Froakie yelled as he landed on the ground with startle.

"Looks like the pill did its work..." Yuki pointed out. "Lucha..." Hawlucha agreed. "Of course, when a medicine is bitter, you can be sure that it's going to work. Ha ha ha!" Sanpei laughed.

Froakie flailed around once again, complaining for a bitter pill. "Wow! Froakie, you're feeling better already!" Ash exclaimed. Yuki then turned to the ninja trainer, issuing a challenge as well.

"Sanpei, I believe I would like a battle with you, too." Yuki requested. "Yuki? Are you sure?" Serena asked, frowning. "But, you saw how quick Frogadier was!" Bonnie reminded in warning.

Sanpei blinked, before looking at the Hawlucha Boy, along with Hawlucha, who folded his arms in a serious glare. "Quite intimidating, are you? Are you perhaps... the Hawlucha Boy the people were rumoring about?" Sanpei asked.

Everyone blinked in shock, while the Fighting duo agreed. "That's right... So, you must've heard the rumors about me..." Yuki replied. Sanpei chuckled as he glanced at Frogadier.

The evolved Bubble Frog Pokémon seemed ready as Sanpei nodded back. "Very well, then! I accept your challenge, Hawlucha Boy!" Sanpei agreed. "Whoa... Yuki?" "Froak..." Ash and Froakie asked, both amazed.

So, everyone was at the same spot, where Yuki and Sanpei were to have their one on one battle. "The one on one battle between Yuki, the Hawlucha Boy, and Sanpei, the young ninja is about to begin!" Clemont declared.

Ash watched carefully, while turning to Froakie. "Froakie? I want you to look close to see how Hawlucha and Frogadier will battle each other, okay?" Ash asked. "Froak kie kie..." Froakie replied with a nod.

"Like the previous battle, the same rules will apply! Is that clear?" Clemont asked. Both trainers nodded along with their Pokémon, allowing Clemont to begin the battle. "Alright then! Battle begin!" Clemont shouted out.

**Sanpei: Frogadier VS Yuki: Hawlucha**

"You may have the first move, Hawlucha Boy." Sanpei offered again. "With pleasure. Hawlucha! Focus Blast, let's go!" Yuki called. Hawlucha leapt in the air, while getting ready to shoot Focus Blast.

"Use Quick Attack!" Sanpei called. Frogadier got out of the way, evading Focus Blast! He then jumped around quickly to distract Hawlucha, causing everyone to be shocked with the move.

"He's using it on Hawlucha this time! If Hawlucha takes the hit, he'll take massive damage!" Serena exclaimed. "Watch out, Hawlucha!" "Dedenne!" Bonnie and Dedenne called out.

"We're not falling for the same trick that easily..." Yuki assured. "Cha..." Hawlucha agreed. The Wrestling Pokémon closed his eyes, using his senses to track down where Frogadier might strike.

Once he figured it out, he got ready, signaling Yuki for an attack. "Alright! Hawlucha, use Karate Chop!" Yuki called. "It's no use!" Sanpei called in reminder. Hawlucha aimed the attack, towards the speeding Frogadier.

To everyone's shock, the move made a direct hit, slamming Frogadier into a tree! "What!? Frogadier!?" Sanpei gasped. "Wow... How did Hawlucha do that?" Ash exclaimed, amazed with Hawlucha's sharp senses.

"It must be because of Hawlucha's sharp senses, which could be also used to track where the opponent might hit him!" Clemont guessed. Sanpei blinked, knowing of what could that mean.

"I see... So, you and Hawlucha are Martial Artists..." Sanpei replied. Frogadier grunted as he got up, still ready to go. The ninja trainer nodded to his Water Type, while facing back to Yuki.

"However, being a Martial Arts does not mean you can predict anything! Frogadier, use Smokescreen!" Sanpei shouted. Smoke surrounded Frogadier, before it was shown that he was gone!

"Now where did he go?" Bonnie asked. She and Dedenne looked around, while Yuki stayed calm. "Hm..." Yuki hummed quietly, while using his senses at the same time. Sanpei noticed, and frowned.

"Now what is that Hawlucha Boy thinking?" Sanpei asked. He shook his head, making his move. "Now, use Bubble!" Sanpei called. Out of the trees, Frogadier jumped, shooting Bubble at Hawlucha.

"Counter with Aerial Ace!" Yuki called. Hawlucha noticed the bubbles as he flew towards them, slashing them away with Aerial Ace, while hitting Frogadier at the same time! "Argh!" Sanpei grunted in annoyance.

"Cool..." Bonnie exclaimed, amazed with Hawlucha's persistence. Frogadier landed back on the ground, panting. He secretly smirked at the power, realizing that the power rivaled his.

"Impressive... It looks like I underestimated you and your skills... Frogadier, use Water Pulse!" Sanpei called. Frogadier leapt in the air, shooting the spiral form of the Water Type attack.

"Counter Water Pulse with Focus Blast!" Yuki called. Hawlucha leapt, launching a Focus Blast. The two moves collided, making an explosion. The ninja trainer saw his chance and made his final move.

"Now, use Quick Attack!" Sanpei shouted. "Flying Press!" Yuki yelled. Frogadier leapt from one side to another, attempting to hit Hawlucha with a direct hit from his Quick Attack.

Hawlucha posed in the air, before shooting down with his signature move. The two collided, creating a small explosion. Everyone yelled in surprise as the two battling trainers guarded themselves.

"Frogadier!?" "Hawlucha!" The two trainers shouted out towards the smoke. Everyone watched, recovering from the collision. As they all looked, only one figure was standing, while the other was down.

The dust passed, causing Sanpei to widen his eyes. "Impossible..." Sanpei breathed out. Everyone widened their eyes in shock, seeing that while Hawlucha was bruised a little, Frogadier was down.

"Frogadier is unable to battle! The winner is Hawlucha! Which means that the winner of this battle is Yuki!" Clemont declared.

**Winner: Yuki**

"How do you like that? The power of the Martial Arts skills from Hawlucha?" Yuki asked. "Cha Lucha!" Hawlucha boasted, showing his victory pose. Frogadier groaned, getting up as Sanpei ran over.

"Are you alright, Frogadier?" Sanpei asked. Frogadier nodded with a croak as the ninja trainer got up, sighing. "It seems that we still have a long way to go to be powerful, I should say." Sanpei sighed.

He walked over to the Hawlucha Boy and his trainer with an approving smile. "It seems we have underestimated you and your skills... I admit, you are very strong... Hawlucha Boy..." Sanpei admitted.

"Frog." Frogadier agreed with a croak. "Right... Back to you, Sanpei." Yuki agreed. "Lucha." Hawlucha replied with a nod. For Ash, he was amazed of the power that both Yuki and Sanpei had.

"I must take my leave now." Sanpei reminded. He and Frogadier began to walk off, only for him to be stopped by Ash. "Hey, wait a minute!" Ash called. The ninja figures stopped, glancing at the Kanto trainer.

"Hm? Is there something else I could do for you?" Sanpei asked. Ash gulped, before making his answer. "Please... Show me how you did it!" Ash pleaded. "Did what?" Sanpei asked, confused.

Everyone else grew confused as they all widened their eyes in surprise while the Fighting duo narrowed their eyes. "Out of all the training I've had, I have never seen a Quick Attack like that like Frogadier's!" Ash explained.

He looked up, his eyes filled with determination. "So, please. Please teach my Froakie on how to do that! Will you?... You want to learn it, don't you?" Ash asked, before turning to Froakie.

Froakie blinked his eyes in startle, before agreeing to the plan. "Won't you please show us?" Ash asked. Froakie grumbled as he and Ash bowed down, with him being annoyed with his evolved form.

Sanpei gave a short thought, before making his decision. "Hm... Alright then!" Sanpei agreed. The Kanto trainer widened his eyes in surprise, before turning to the ninja. "No kidding!?" Ash asked.

"No way, of course not!" Sanpei chuckled. At that moment, Ash pumped his fist into the air with joy. "YEAH! Isn't that great, Froakie?" Ash asked, turning to the determined Water Type.

"Froak kie kie!" Froakie agreed with a nod. But then, the ninja trainer made his one condition. "But, my training methods are very straight." Sanpei warned. This, however failed to intimidate Ash.

"That's fine with me! What do you say, Froakie?" Ash asked. "Froakie kie!" Froakie croaked with a nod. "Watching this is such an amazing stuff! Two trainers can be put to a really tough battle, and be friends once the battle is over!" Serena exclaimed.

"Well, that's what a Pokémon battle is all about!" Clemont explained. Yuki smiled a little, before making his suggestion to the Kanto trainer. "Ash, in that case, if you're asking for speed, why not let Hawlucha teach Froakie about speed, too?" Yuki suggested.

Everyone turned to the Hawlucha Boy in surprise as that made the Kanto trainer even more psyched. "You mean it!?" Ash asked. "Why not? If you want to learn the fastest Quick Attack, you need to master speed!" Yuki explained.

Sanpei nodded in agreement as he glanced at the two boys. "What Hawlucha Boy says is true. You also need to master strength in order to master the Quick Attack that I'm going to teach." Sanpei reminded.

"I'm up for it! What about you, Froakie?" Ash asked. "Froak!" Froakie croaked in a determined tone. "Then it's settled, then. Just remember that when I train a Pokémon, I train them hard and I train hard along with them!" Sanpei explained.

"Great! Then, I'll train with Froakie!" Ash pointed out. Both Yuki and Sanpei nodded until Bonnie stepped up, who was feeling excited and determined as well. "I want to become a ninja, too!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"B-Bonnie!?" Clemont yelped in surprise. Serena giggled as she took out a costume making pack. "Then, Bonnie... You just leave it to me!" Serena assured.

**Later...**

Bonnie, Pikachu, and Dedenne were all in their ninja training suit! The three seemed excited, with the little girl at most. "Ha ha ha! Awesome! I'm a ninja!" Bonnie exclaimed happily.

Yuki and Hawlucha laughed nervously as Serena seemed to be happy about it. "Awesome, Bonnie! You look just like the part!" Serena agreed, giggling. "Thanks, Serena!" Bonnie thanked.

So, right at that moment, the little girl ran playing ninja, along with Pikachu and Dedenne. As they were doing that, Sanpei announced the first lesson to the Kanto trainer about the Quick Attack.

Yuki was prepared to teach the Kanto trainer and his Froakie about speed. "The important thing about Quick Attack is to move quickly! And the first thing to do that is to develop your springing flexibility muscles to do that!" Sanpei explained.

Yuki narrowed his eyes, realizing this first step as well. Clemont then got into the part by saying his part. "Hm! I believe then it's time for me to step up! You'd better prepare yourselves for this! Clemontic Gear, on!" Clemont called.

He revealed his newest invention, which looked like springing robot shoes! "I call this my Muscle Mass Magnifying Machine! I'd thought we'd encounter a situation precisely like this one!" Clemont explained.

The Hawlucha Boy sweat dropped at that. "You know, Clemont? You never cease to amaze me..." Yuki sighed. "Cha..." Hawlucha sighed, shaking his head. Bonnie and the two Electric Types ran over to see the invention.

"Uh... Okay, so you put springs on your shoes..." Bonnie muttered. The Lumiose Gym Leader chuckled, waving his finger at his younger sister.

"Ah... But, they're not normal springs! The basis of all exercises in increasing muscle strengths! The springs I've equipped in these shoes multiply your jumping power body weight in the process!" Clemont explained.

His glasses flashed, as he continued his explanation. "Because of the added load of your body weight, they strengthen your leg muscles rapidly!" Clemont concluded. Ash seemed impressed by this.

"Wow... Science is so amazing!" Ash exclaimed. The Gym Leader smirked as he took a step. "Allow me to show you how it w- AHHH!" Clemont started, but then screamed as he disappeared into the sky.

Apparently, when he took a step, the spring invention had overdone the jump, causing him to jump high into the sky and for him to disappear! Yuki and Hawlucha widened their eyes in shock as Ash grinned at the powerful jump.

"Well, he did disappear quickly enough..." Ash chuckled. Both Serena and Bonnie sighed at the invention, seeing that it could've either succeeded, or it had failed by overdoing it.

**Later...**

Clemont had finally came down when Sanpei began the first lesson of the jumping skills. "Training must proceed step by step! Frogadier, please demonstrate to them our basic training method!" Sanpei requested.

Frogadier responded by making his demonstration of his training. He began to jump on the rocks and on the tree stumps, going faster with each jump. "So quick!" Ash pointed out.

The ninja trainer smirked, turning to Froakie. "So, Froakie. Do you think you can keep up with Frogadier?" Sanpei asked. "Froak." Froakie responded with a nod. He got onto the rocks and began his jump.

Yuki turned to Hawlucha, as the Wrestling Pokémon nodded as he joined the two Water Types. With that done, the three Pokémon were jumping on the rocks, with Froakie slowing down for some reason.

Hawlucha and Frogadier picked up the pace, both acting like this was some sort of competition. Seeing the three Pokémon jumping, Sanpei smirked, raising his arms up with invigoration.

"I am always one with my Pokémon!" Sanpei declared as he jumped from one side to another. "You're the only one, Ninja Boy." Yuki teased as he joined in the jumping part, being in equal speed with Sanpei.

"Alright! Me too!" "And me, too!" Ash and Bonnie cried out as they tried to catch up with the jumping. Clemont and Serena both watched as Ash, Sanpei, Yuki, and Bonnie were jumping one side to another.

Even Pikachu joined in the jumping! Yuki looked back at the two, frowning by their jumping rate. "That's not fast enough, you two! Pick up the pace!" Yuki called. Ash grunted as he tried to go faster.

He looked up at his Water Type, seeing that he was going faster. "That's it, Froakie! Keep it up!" Ash cheered. Back to his training with the others, Sanpei looked back, not impressed.

"You're still jumping too slow!" Sanpei scolded. The Kanto trainer gritted his teeth as he tried to jump each side faster. "Then... How about... this!?" Ash grunted, picking up the pace.

"Faster!" Sanpei called, as he and Yuki started to go faster, making it much harder for both Ash and Bonnie to keep up. Hawlucha and Froakie both picked up the pace, only for Hawlucha to jump faster.

After a few minutes passed, Bonnie groaned, not feeling well with all the jumping. "I can't... do it... anymore!" Bonnie groaned as she fell to the ground. Pikachu took pieces from the shrub leaves, making Bonnie's fall a soft one.

Hawlucha and Frogadier jumped faster, only for them to see Froakie catching up to them! Clemont and Serena noticed together as they smiled in amazement. "Excellent!" Clemont commented.

"It looks like Froakie is jumping as fast as Hawlucha and Frogadier now!" Serena pointed out. By the time the two noticed, Ash had managed to catch up with the Hawlucha Boy and the ninja trainer.

"You're catching up, Ash! Just a little more!" Yuki teased. "Hey! I know that already, Yuki!" Ash reminded as he jumped faster, looking like he was jumping at the same speed as his two rivals.

With the group meeting Sanpei and Frogadier, Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie discover that both Yuki and Hawlucha are known to be Martial Artists, and they have rivalry with ninjas like Sanpei and Frogadier!

Now Ash plans to make his Froakie as quicker as possible, for him to master a Quick Attack on his own! What will the outcomes be for the little Water Type?

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Tackle, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 28: Froakie VS Hawlucha VS Frogadier!?**

**Chapter 29: The PokéFlute Needed to Awaken!**

**Chapter 30: A Trade Worth for the Price!**

**Chapter 31: Brainwash on Pikachu and Hawlucha!?**

**Chapter 32: Ash VS Pikachu!? Yuki VS Hawlucha!?**

**Next chapter preview:**

Sanpei: Alright then! The next step is mostly going to be about running on water! Could you master that?

Yuki: Well, my lesson is for me to see if you can catch up to Hawlucha at the speed of jumping on trees! What do you think of that?

Ash: Great! This could totally help me and Froakie get stronger, with Froakie getting his new move perfectly!

Yuki: I wonder... I wonder how I'm teaching you to do martial arts when Hawlucha could be your teacher of this...

Serena: Don't worry about it, Yuki! You're doing- Ah! What the... It's Team Rocket!

Ash: What are you guys planning to do with Pikachu and Frogadier!? Give them back, right now!


	28. Froakie VS Hawlucha VS Frogadier?

**Chapter 28: Froakie VS Hawlucha VS Frogadier!?**

Last time on "Pokémon Kalos Journey", Ash and Froakie were training together for their Cyllage City Gym Battle coming up. However, as they were training, the group heard a voice and a Pokémon voice.

As Ash and Yuki searched around, it turns out to be a young and skillful ninja named Sanpei, along with his partner, Frogadier. Sanpei began to criticize Ash of Froakie's power, until Ash made a challenge.

And so, the two trainers battled, with Frogadier going against Froakie. The match was over as Sanpei became the winner, with Froakie all worn out. Sanpei and Yuki both glanced at each other as rivals as they had their battle as well.

The results were different, with Yuki coming out as the victor. The two compliments each other for their battling skills, leaving Sanpei the choice to continue on his way for his quest.

But, that was when Ash stopped Sanpei, as he hoped to let his Froakie master a Quick Attack, the same speed that Sanpei's Frogadier had during their battle. The ninja trainer agreed, but warned that his training can be harsh.

Yuki asked to join in to teach Ash as well, to teach him more about the physical parts of speed and of what is needed. And so, Sanpei began the lesson by jumping from one side to another.

Eventually, the three boys were in sync, as they all jumped together, along with Hawlucha and Froakie, jumping in equal speed with Frogadier. Now, the next lesson is about to begin.

"Next, we'll teach Froakie on how to run over water!" Sanpei explained, much to Serena and Clemont's surprise. "Huh!? On water!?" Serena repeated in shock. "But, running on water is scientifically impossible!" Clemont commented.

Yuki blinked, as he glanced at Sanpei. But for Ash, he seemed determined to get Froakie to master the lesson. "Nah... We can do it! Right, Froakie?" Ash asked. "Froak!" Froakie agreed with a nod.

The young ninja turned to his partner with his demonstration request. "Frogadier will show you how it can be done." Sanpei explained. As he said that, the evolved form of Froakie began running on water.

Both Serena and Clemont were shocked to see this, while Yuki was intrigued. This IS the first time he saw a Pokémon or someone running on water. As Frogadier got to the next island, he let out a triumphant yell.

"WHOA! I can't believe that Frogadier actually ran on water!" Clemont admitted. The Kanto trainer turned to his Bubble Frog Pokémon with a grin. "Alright, Froakie! Now, it's your turn!" Ash called.

Froakie let out a determined croak. He then tried to run on water, only for him to sink too early. Ash let out a startled yelp, as Frogadier laughed at his pre-evolved form's failed attempt.

Froakie got his head out of the surface as he glared at his evolved form. Yuki took a deep breath, before he turned to Hawlucha. "Well, Hawlucha? Do you think you can do it?" Yuki asked.

The Wrestling Pokémon was a little nervous at that question, but decided to give it a try. "Haw cha!" Hawlucha called. He then ran on water, much to Ash and Clemont's surprise.

"What?! Now Hawlucha is doing it!" Clemont called. Hawlucha ran faster, much faster than Froakie was as he got to the other island, much to Frogadier's amazement. "Haw cha cha!" Hawlucha declared.

He gave a pose, which left Froakie to be disappointed to himself. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" Yuki chuckled, folding his arms. "I see... I guess I have underestimated you and Hawlucha way too much..." Sanpei commented.

He gave a glance and a smirk to the Hawlucha Boy, who glanced back. The two's eyes sparked with each other in rivalry, as the others watched. "Ha ha... A rivalry between a martial artist and a ninja..." Serena laughed nervously.

As for Ash, he decided to give it a try. "Okay! Now, it's my turn!" Ash yelled. Sanpei widened his eyes as he tried to warn Ash that it was impossible. Unfortunately, it was too late as Ash had already sunk into the water.

"Oh no!" "Ash!?" Serena and Clemont gasped. Hawlucha flew over back to Yuki, while sweat dropping to see Ash's automatic fail on the running part. Bonnie, Pikachu, and Dedenne swam over.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked. "Pikachu?" Pikachu called out. The answer came as the Kanto trainer took a deep breath, spitting out some water. "Gah... Argh... No good... Can't do it!" Ash groaned.

Sanpei let out a chuckle, before giving the Kanto trainer a reminder. "Naturally, it's impossible for me as well..." Sanpei chuckled, leaving Ash bewildered. "HUH!?... Why didn't you tell me that..." Ash groaned.

So, everyone got out of the water as Sanpei began the explanation of running on water. "The trick for being able to run over water is that to make your feet move on quickly!" Sanpei explained.

Ash blinked, before turning to his Bubble Frog Pokémon. "Move your feet quickly... Can you do that, Froakie?" Ash asked. Froakie nodded as he made movements of his feet as fast as he could.

"Alright! That's how to do it! Now, let's go!" Ash called. Froakie nodded as he ran back to the river. He then began to run on water as fast as he could. But, it wasn't fast enough as he sunk down again.

"Froakie, no!" Ash yelled. Yuki frowned at that. "Froakie wasn't fast enough... Although, I can say it's a high improvement..." Yuki commented. "Lucha..." Hawlucha agreed, folding his arms.

Just then, the Bubble Frog jumped over and out of the water as Ash made another attempt. "Okay then! Try it again!" Ash called. Froakie jumped back to the water, running faster, but it failed again.

This time, it wasn't even close to two feet from the group. Immediately, he jumped out of the river, back to his trainer. "You can do it, Froakie! Go for it!" Ash called. Once again, Froakie tried running on water.

There was the third fail as he leapt back to Ash. "Show them how it's done, Froakie!" Ash called. But, before Froakie could show, Frogadier and Hawlucha volunteered together to show how it's done.

Then, the two glared at each other, before deciding to make this a challenge race. "Is this... rivalry?" Yuki asked, sweat dropping. "I guess so. With their expressions and determination, I can say yes." Sanpei chuckled.

So, as Sanpei said those words, the two skilled Pokémon ran as fast as they could on the water, competing with each other. Serena watched in amazement, to see such speed from the two.

"Wow... Those two are really giving it their all, aren't they?" Serena asked nervously. As she asked, the two Pokémon got to the end, making their triumphed poses, before glaring back at each other.

"Hawlucha cha!" "Frog Frogadier!?" Hawlucha and Frogadier argued, both arguing to see who was faster and who was slower. Serena and Clemont both laughed nervously as Yuki just shook his head.

"Come on, Hawlucha... Cut it out..." Yuki sighed. As for the little Water Type, Froakie gritted his teeth, as he was now even more determined to compete with his two new rivals.

"Feeling frustrated?" Ash asked. "Froak!" Froakie agreed, showing his frustration. The Kanto trainer grinned and pointed out at the small island up ahead. "Then, use all that frustration and get out there!" Ash called.

Froakie let out a loud yell before running on the water. To everyone's surprise, Froakie was getting much faster and faster as he barely made it to the end, joining up with his two rivals.

He skidded in front of the two, startling Hawlucha. "Yes! You did it, Froakie!" Ash called. "Nice work!" "You did it!" Clemont and Serena commented. "Well, that was a surprise!" Yuki admitted.

Froakie cheered as Hawlucha gave him a fist bump, which the Water Type gave back. But for Frogadier, he was still not impressed. At seeing his not impressed expression, Froakie glared dirtily at his evolved form.

"Cha..." Hawlucha grumbled, not getting what Frogadier's deal was. Eventually, the three Pokémon rejoined their three trainers as Sanpei began to think of a new lesson for speed.

"Okay, Sanpei! Yuki! What's the next lesson?" Ash asked. Yuki began to think, thinking of only physical training. "Physical training for speed... Huh... That would be..." Yuki started.

Suddenly, the Hawlucha Boy was interrupted by two loud stomach growling. It came from both Ash and Sanpei, as the two grew embarrassed. "Oh... I'm as embarrassed as I can be..." Sanpei mumbled.

"Ah ha... That's nothing what a nice lunch can't fix! I'll take care of the cooking!" Clemont suggested. "And I'll take care of the desserts!" Serena volunteered. Bonnie was most excited about lunch.

"It's Mega-Lunch time!" Bonnie giggled, as she and Dedenne rose up, both excited for a large meal. "Mega-Lunch?..." Yuki repeated to himself, confused with Bonnie's choice of words.

"Lucha cha..." Hawlucha muttered, telling Yuki to just ignore it. So, everyone was preparing for lunch, as Serena and Clemont started to make the meal and the desserts. As for Ash, he was still ready for some training.

"Hey, Yuki! Before we eat, how about a battle?" Ash asked. The Hawlucha Boy turned in surprise, seeing that the Kanto trainer wanted a battle before lunch. "Are you sure? Right now?" Yuki asked.

"Of course! I want to see how Froakie improved during the training! What do you say? Froakie against Hawlucha!" Ash declared. Yuki blinked, before smiling in approval. "Alright then... I'll take that challenge..." Yuki agreed.

"Nice! Froakie! Are you ready?" Ash asked. "Froakie kie!" Froakie croaked, feeling pumped up. Hawlucha smirked as he walked in front of his human friend, preparing for battle.

Sanpei, Bonnie, Frogadier, and Pikachu watched. "Go for it, you two! Both of you, fight hard!" Bonnie cheered. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu cried. "This should be interesting... A companion battle..." Sanpei commented.

"Frog..." Frogadier smirked, seeing that either of his two rivals were going to go down. Serena and Clemont both paused to see the beginning of the battle, before they went back to cooking.

**Yuki: Hawlucha VS Ash: Froakie**

"Alright then! Froakie, use Pound!" Ash called. Froakie charged towards Hawlucha, preparing to attack directly. As he ran, he seemed to be much faster than before as the Hawlucha Boy noticed.

"Froakie has improved his speed because of training... But that doesn't mean his speed will match up to Hawlucha that easily! Use Karate Chop to counter!" Yuki cried, making his countermove.

Hawlucha countered with Karate Chop, as he blocked most of the Pound attacks, easily intercepting Froakie! "Use Bubble, let's go!" Ash called. So, the Bubble Frog Pokémon leapt back, shooting bubbles at Hawlucha.

"Counter them with Aerial Ace!" Yuki called. Hawlucha swiftly slashed all the bubbles away with Aerial Ace, much to Ash and Froakie's surprise. "Whoa... That's fast!" Ash commented.

"Froak..." Froakie agreed, before he focused back in the battle. "Well, in that case... Froakie! Use Water Pulse!" Ash called. Froakie then shot up, launching his strong Water Type attack.

"Dodge that." Yuki called. Hawlucha flew in the air, evading Water Pulse. "Use Water Pulse one more time!" Ash called. The Bubble Frog Pokémon then launched more Water Pulses as Yuki countered again.

"Dodge all of them, now!" Yuki cried. Seeing the Water Pulses coming at him, the Wrestling Pokémon dodged each and every one of them, making Froakie even more frustrated than ever.

"FROAKIE KIE KIE!" Froakie complained, as he flailed around. "Okay... This is getting frustrating... Froakie! Use that frustration to use Pound!" Ash called. Froakie ran, but much faster than before.

Before Hawlucha knew it, his Water Type opponent was right in front of him, using Pound! The Wrestling Pokémon let out a yelp before he took the attack, skidding on the ground.

"Whoa... That was uncalled for... Okay then! Hawlucha! Use Aerial Ace!" Yuki called. The Wrestling Pokémon flew into the air, aiming his target at Froakie, who braced himself. "Use Bubble to counter, Froakie!" Ash called.

Froakie shot more Bubbles at Hawlucha, who dodged while flying. Froakie then took multiple hits from Aerial Ace, dealing critical damage to the Bubble Frog Pokémon, as Froakie let out a yelp.

He was knocked to the ground, before he slowly got up, getting more determined to win. Hawlucha noticed his persistence and grinned, urging him to fight. "You can do it, Froakie! I know you can!" Ash called.

Yuki smirked as he began his final attack. "Hawlucha, finish this with Focus Blast!" Yuki called. So, Hawlucha flew into the air, and prepared to use Focus Blast, aiming it at Froakie.

"Quick, use Water Pulse to counter!" Ash called. Froakie quickly shot Water Pulse, at the same time as Focus Blast was thrown. But, to both trainers' surprises, the two attacks missed each other!

Each of them hit their own targets, knocking the two to the ground, both yelling in pain. "Froakie!?" "Hawlucha!" Ash and Yuki called. Both Sanpei and Bonnie watched closely to see who had won.

The dust cleared, leaving Hawlucha to stand as Froakie attempted to stand, too. However, due to the attacks he took by Aerial Ace, the Bubble Frog Pokémon was forced to give in as he fell, losing the battle.

**Winner: Yuki**

"Ah! Froakie, are you okay!?" Ash exclaimed. He ran over to his Water Type, holding him in his arms. "Froakie..." Froakie grumbled, upset at his second loss against his two rivals.

First, he loses to his evolved form... And now, he loses to his friend-rival! The Fighting duo walks over, with Yuki holding a Sitrus Berry. "Here, Ash. Give Froakie this." Yuki replied, handing the berry.

The Kanto trainer said his thanks, feeding his Water Type the Sitrus Berry. Froakie sighed, with his health replenishing immediately. As soon as he recovered, Sanpei applauded lightly, smiling at the battle.

"That was great, you two! A great battle I've ever seen!" Sanpei complimented. "Yeah! You two were so cool!" Bonnie commented. "Pikachu!" "Dedenne!" Pikachu and Dedenne agreed.

"Y-You think?" Ash asked, surprised by their impression. "Of course! Remember Ash, during your last battle with Yuki, Froakie couldn't land a hit during that battle! But, because of the training you had, Froakie did improve!" Clemont explained.

"Right!" Serena agreed. That made the Kanto trainer grin as he nodded, before turning to the Hawlucha Boy. "You're right... Yuki?" Ash asked, as he and Froakie walked up to him and Hawlucha.

"Yeah?" Yuki asked. Before he knew it, the Kanto trainer gave him a thumbs up and a grin. "Thanks for the battle, Yuki! Now, I know that Froakie could get stronger than ever!" Ash thanked.

The renewal of Ash's energy startled Yuki, before he let out a chuckle. "No problem, Ash." Yuki replied, smiling back. Just then, there were two stomach rumblings, but it was louder this time.

Everyone turned to both Sanpei and Ash, as they both blushed in embarrassment. "Sounds to me like you two could use some 'Mega-Lunch!'" Serena giggled, leaving the two embarrassed.

"We would, please..." The two sighed, both hungrier than ever.

**Later...**

Lunch was set up as everyone was all ready to dig in. "Alright then! Let's eat!" Clemont, Yuki, and Serena said simultaneously. "Hey, thanks!" Ash and Sanpei said together. At that, everyone began to dig in.

As everyone was eating, Sanpei was more impressed and amazed as he began devouring the food, happy with the new taste he is feeling. "Wow... This is great!... Delish!" Sanpei commented.

He ate up the noodles as fast as he could, wanting to eat more and more. "This is so great!... What is this?" Sanpei asked as he ate more. "That's fried noodles you're eating..." Clemont answered.

As the Gym Leader answered, Sanpei chewed his food and swallowed it, finding the food more than just delicious. "It's now my favorite food... I've heard of it from my friends at the ninja village... But I never thought it'd be this good!" Sanpei admitted.

He kept eating the fried noodles, as Serena offered some desserts. "Please, try to eat some of the cookies that I've baked, too!" Serena requested, leaving the young ninja to take one.

As Sanpei bit and chewed on it, his face turned dreamy. "This is the best cookie ever!" Sanpei exclaimed happily. His expression left the Fighting duo and his Water Type partner to sweat drop a little.

"*sigh*... So now, you're fond of fried noodles and cookies, huh..." Yuki chuckled to himself, leaving Hawlucha to snicker a little.

**After lunch...**

Once the meal was finished, everybody lied down on a shade of a large tree, lying together in a circle. "There's nothing like a nap after a good meal..." Sanpei sighed as he relaxed.

"For sure!" Ash agreed, before he glanced at the young ninja. "So, Sanpei... That ninja village you mentioned... Is that your hometown?" Ash asked. Sanpei let out a chuckle, before answering.

"That's right... It's also the home of my oldest brother, Ippei, who is by the strongest man in ninja village. He's there with his Greninja." Sanpei explained. The word of a new Pokémon left Ash curious.

"Greninja?" Ash repeated. "It's the evolved form of Frogadier, Ash... The final evolution of Froakie..." Yuki explained. He took out his Pokédex, searching over for Greninja, as he saw the data of it.

_"Greninja, the Ninja Pokémon, and the evolved form of Frogadier. Greninja's swift movements confound its opponents, and it can compress water into sharp-edged throwing stars."_ Yuki's Pokédex buzzed.

"And there's my other brother, Nihei, who lives in the Ninja Village as well with his Venusaur!" Sanpei added. Once the young ninja was done with the details, Bonnie counted up the names.

"So there's Ippei, Nihei, and Sanpei?" Bonnie asked, before she giggled along with Dedenne. Yuki found it a little humorous, considering that the names sounded like it rhymes for a bit.

"My ultimate goal is to one day defeat both my brothers and assume the title the Strongest Ninja of the Ninja Village once and for all!" Sanpei explained, as Ash gave a sigh, before explaining his dream.

"So I guess that you left Ninja Village so that you could train, right?" Ash asked, which Sanpei responded in yes. "Well, you see, I'm working hard to become a Pokémon Master someday!" Ash explained.

"Oh... I see..." Sanpei replied in amusement. The young ninja turned to Yuki with the same question in mind. "And you? What's your dream, Yuki?" Sanpei asked, causing the Hawlucha Boy to think about it.

"To be honest... I really didn't think about having a dream... I just... wanted to fight battles more and more, considering to become the best trainer in Kalos. I guess that's my goal?" Yuki explained.

"That's kind of the same as being the Kalos Champion!" Clemont chuckled, as Hawlucha smirked. Serena was more amazed with the three boys. "That's amazing... Even though you three all have different goals, you're all working hard in your own ways!" Serena complimented.

"It sounds to me like that you three would be great rivals with each other." Clemont stated. "You can say that again, Clemont." Yuki chuckled. "Hawlucha Haw." Hawlucha smirked in agreement.

**Later...**

Bonnie, Dedenne, and Pikachu were still playing around by being ninjas. As for Yuki, Sanpei, and Ash, they were going to Yuki's lesson now. "What!? Running on a tree?!" Ash yelped.

For him, he couldn't believe what the Hawlucha Boy was saying. He was saying that they should run on the tree, or climb it, without using any of their hands. "Yeah... Like climbing without hands." Yuki replied.

"No way... Is that really possible?" Ash asked, not believing it. That caused the Fighting duo to smirk at the dumbfounded Kanto trainer. Sanpei and Frogadier could only smile and watch the two.

"What are you talking about? Hawlucha and I could do it, due to extensive training." Yuki teased, causing Hawlucha to nod and boast a little. "Froakie kie..." Froakie sighed, not believing it as well.

"Come on! Give it a try! You just have to move your legs and feet as fast as you can." Yuki explained. Both Ash and Froakie sweat dropped as they both got ready to try and run.

"Okay then... Here goes!" Ash grunted. "Froak!" Froakie croaked. The two backed away from the tree with a few steps and ran to the tree. "HERE... WE... GO!" "FROAKIE!" Ash and Froakie bellowed out.

The two ran as fast as they could, trying to run on the tree, but automatically failed. The two yelped as they took one step on a tree, they immediately fell to the ground, defeated.

"GAH! Argh..." Ash groaned, as Froakie fell down, dizzy from hitting his head on the ground. Both the young ninja and the Hawlucha Boy sweat dropped, along with their partners as they shook their heads.

"This might take a while..." Yuki muttered. "Haw cha cha." Hawlucha muttered, also shaking his head. Both Sanpei and Frogadier laughed nervously as the Kanto trainer and Froakie tried again.

It took several tries for Ash and Froakie to finally get up to the tree by running on it, as they both managed to get on a tree branch. As for Sanpei and Yuki, they somehow were already on a tree ahead of them.

"Next lesson, we'll train by jumping onto tree branch from tree branch. In order to get the explosive power to make a need an execution of Quick Attack!" Sanpei explained.

Ash nodded as Yuki watched, seeing the Kanto trainer and his Water Type determined. "Okay, Froakie! This is where we really need to step on the gas!" Ash reminded, as Froakie croaked with a nod.

"Froak!" Froakie agreed. The young ninja nodded as he turned to jump on another tree branch. Frogadier followed, as Froakie jumped to follow, too. "Okay... WHOA!" Ash started, then yelped.

He nearly fell to the ground until he steadied his balance. Hawlucha followed as Yuki helped Ash out with the balance of jumping. Soon enough, he was ahead of his friend and Water Type, along with Hawlucha.

They were in equal distance with Sanpei and Frogadier as the young ninja made his lecture. "Always look two or three branches ahead! You'll go faster!" Sanpei assured.

As he said that, the ninja continued his jumping pace, with his partner following. The jump speed began to grow faster, with Sanpei and Yuki tied in the lead, with Ash falling behind.

"Once you get the hang of it, you wouldn't believe your own speed!" Sanpei smirked, as he was right. As Yuki and Hawlucha followed along, the Hawlucha Boy looked down to see that he was moving faster than before on the trees.

"This is..." Yuki started, only for him to stop as he kept jumping. "Haw cha!" Hawlucha panted as he went faster with the beat. Ash and Froakie jumped behind the two, with Ash noticing the speed increase.

"Wow, Froakie! You're jumping faster than ever!" Ash called. Froakie croaked in agreement as he picked up the pace. The three boys continued their jumping, with Ash picking up the pace.

"Yeah! That's it, Froakie! Keep it up!" Ash called. Suddenly, both Sanpei and Frogadier stopped, causing the Hawlucha Boy and his partner to stop in time to see that there was a cliff ahead!

"W-Whoa... That looks pretty high to be honest..." Yuki admitted. Hawlucha gave him a pat on his arm, comforting him for the great height. Unfortunately, neither Ash or Froakie seemed to notice the cliff ahead!

As they jumped on the branch where the their two 'mentors' were, they jumped off of the branch, expecting to land on another one. But, they didn't feel anything as they looked down.

"Huh... WAAAH!" Ash screamed as he grabbed his screaming Froakie. The two started to plummet down towards the trees downward, with Yuki and Hawlucha gasping.

"No, Ash!" "Cha!" The Fighting duo yelled together. "HOLD ON!" Sanpei yelled. He rapidly threw a rope, catching the Kanto trainer just in time, as Ash held his Water Type tightly.

The fall stopped, as Ash looked up to see his two 'mentors' pulling him and his Water Type up back onto the path. "Hey! Are you two alright!?" Sanpei called down. Ash weakly smiled as he responded back.

"Y-Yeah... We're alright..." Ash assured. Yuki sweat dropped, slumping down as he held onto the rope tightly. "Careful, Ash... Even you have to be aware of what's ahead of you..." Yuki reminded.

"Hawlucha..." Hawlucha grumbled, slumping down as well in relief. "Yeah, sure... I'll do that!" Ash assured. He carefully climbed up the rope, assuring himself that he would be careful next time.

**Later...**

The group moved to a grassy field, where it seemed clear, except for a few rocks, which seemed perfect for Sanpei's final lesson. "Next, we'll finally work on our Quick Attack!" Sanpei declared.

Ash was more excited than ever. "Hear that, Froakie? We're ready to go!" Ash called. Froakie grinned with a nod, as the young ninja turned to Frogadier. "Okay, Frogadier. Show them how it's done! Use Quick Attack!" Sanpei called.

The evolved Water Type nodded as he sped towards a rock, smashing against it with Quick Attack. The speed and power smashed the rock into pieces, as Clemont grew amazed.

"I see! Quick Attack generates so much power because it's done by using so much speed!" Clemont pointed out. The Kanto trainer could only watch in amazement as he nodded along.

"Yeah... Frogadier's Quick Attack is as amazing I've ever seen!" Ash pointed out. Yuki could only watch, half amazed to see the power, but was unsure of something. "Is speed and power really everything, though?" Yuki asked himself.

Hawlucha heard it, and shrugged, unsure of it. As he was thinking, Bonnie, Pikachu, and Dedenne ran over, all three amazed to see such power done. "Wow... That's amazing!" Bonnie admitted.

"Pikachu!" "Dedenne!" The two Electric Types says in awe together. Sanpei turned to Ash with a smirk. "Alright then! Why don't you give it a try?" Sanpei challenged, with Ash agreeing.

"Right! Froakie! Use Quick Attack!" Ash called. The Bubble Frog Pokémon dashed towards the rock, gaining little speed as he bashed into the rock. He seemed to have made the hit, but barely made a dent.

Froakie flipped back, as the rock revealed to be hardly budged. "Huh... The movement looked great, but the power and speed didn't seem to be so satisfying." Yuki explained.

Hawlucha narrowed his eyes, watching on how the rock barely moved. "Okay then! One more time!" Ash called. Froakie nodded and dashed forward, using the second attempt for Quick Attack.

As the Water Type ran, Ash gave a reminder. "You've got to move your feet quicker! Keep thinking of your next move!" Ash called. Froakie croaked in high determination as he slammed into the rock.

The move seemed to have affected the rock this time, but there was only one mark and a scratch. Ash grinned, seeing that the progress was working well. "Alright! Just a little more!" Ash assured.

Sanpei folded his arms, inspecting the rock that was hit. "But, I still wouldn't call of what Froakie's doing a Quick Attack..." Sanpei reminded, frowning. As he said that, Frogadier volunteered to show his pre-evolved form again.

But then, the two Water Types glanced to see something giant slamming towards them! The two dodged together as everyone turned in shock to see the uncalled assault.

"Hold on! What is that!?" Sanpei gasped. There was a familiar trio laughing together as they began their motto.

"Prepare for trouble, hold on for dear life!"

"And make it double, the serium's strife."

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie!"

"And it's James!"

"Team Rocket, stealthily blasts off at the speed of light."

"Surrender now, or prepare for one ninja-esque fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"No... not you losers again..." Yuki groaned, tired of the evil trio's sudden appearances. "Team Rocket!?" Ash snapped angrily. Sanpei grew confused, but frowned as he turned to his two rivals.

"And who are they?" Sanpei asked. "They're really bad guys who steal other people's Pokémon!" Ash answered. Jessie sneered, hearing the explanation, as their robot looked down at the two Water Types.

"It's a gift, you see?" Jessie giggled. "And now, we're going to add Froakie and Frogadier to our evil Pokémon rank!" James explained. Meowth sneered as he controlled the robot.

"We'll catch them both, and the boss will say thanks!" Meowth plotted. He pressed on a button, causing the metal charm on the robot's forehead to shine brightly! Everyone yelled as they were blinded by the blinding light.

"Oh yeah! HAH!" Meowth yelled. He launched a rocket arm at the two Water Types, attempting to catch the two. However, both Water Types managed to see it coming as they dodged out of the way.

Sanpei struggled to make an order, but managed to do so. "Frogadier, Frubbles! Let's go!" Sanpei called. While aiming carefully, the evolved Bubble Frog Pokémon threw his frubbles at the metal charm.

The blinding light had vanished, causing Meowth to shriek a little. "My head is frosted!?" Meowth snapped angrily. Yuki stepped up, standing between both Sanpei and Ash.

"Guys, Froakie, Hawlucha, and Frogadier needs to put all their strengths together for this!" Yuki declared. "Right! And that's what we're going to do!" Ash assured, leaving James to scoff.

"Hmph! Well, I prefer apart!" James explained. Jessie turned to her comrade with an order. "Separate those three!" Jessie called. "No sweat! You've got to keep them separated!" Meowth agreed.

He launched more golden metal charms out of the robot's hands, shooting it at Hawlucha, Froakie, and Frogadier! "Use Quick Attack!" "Aerial Ace!" The three boys yelled together.

Froakie and Frogadier then charged at the robot with Quick Attack, as Hawlucha charged in for Aerial Ace. They all attempted to dodge the golden charms coming to their way, only for Froakie to take a hit!

The pre-evolved Bubble Frog Pokémon yelped as he was sent skidding back to Ash. "Froakie! No!" Ash gasped. Frogadier and Hawlucha both glanced back with surprise, before they struck their enemies with their attacks.

Both Quick Attack and Aerial Ace made direct hits, nearly knocking the ninja robot back. "HEY! Back off, you dorks!" Meowth snapped. He managed to regain balance with the robot before smirking.

"Okay! Net, now!" Meowth yelled. He pressed on a button, launching a huge net, trapping both Hawlucha and Frogadier inside! Both of the Pokémon cried out in surprise as they were now trapped.

"Frogadier!?" "Hawlucha!" Sanpei and Yuki gasped in shock. The Kanto trainer gritted his teeth as he called to his Electric Type. "Pikachu! Use Iron Tail!" Ash called. Pikachu quickly took off his ninja costume and shot at the net with Iron tail.

"HAH! Not a chance!" Meowth taunted. He shot another net at Pikachu, holding the three Pokémon trapped inside! "Ah!? Pikachu, too!?" Ash gasped. "Why you... Hawlucha! Get out of there with Aerial Ace!" Yuki yelled.

"Don't even bother! That net is cut-proof from any of your lame attacks!" Meowth taunted. Yuki could only grit his teeth as his arms started to darken a little. Serena noticed it, and gasped.

"Ah! Yuki's arms..." Serena gasped silently, causing both Clemont and Bonnie to turn. They widened their eyes at the sight of darkness getting to Yuki. "No! Not again!" Clemont gasped.

Ash saw it as well, as he tried to stop it by attacking the evil trio. "No way! Froakie! Use Quick Attack, one more time!" Ash yelled. Froakie nodded and charged at the robot with Quick Attack.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! The only way you could dodge these is by not being here!" Meowth taunted. He launched more golden charms, forcing Froakie to dodge all of them with his speed.

As the Bubble Frog Pokémon ran, he remembered of all the training he has had with Frogadier and Hawlucha, as they were his friends, rivals, and mentors. He even recalled of what he learned from those two and what he needed to know.

Those close memories caused Froakie to yell out loud, creating clones of himself! Everyone gaped at surprise, along with Yuki, causing the darkness to vanish. "What's that!?" Ash exclaimed.

"Froakie is using Double Team!" Sanpei answered in amazement. Due to many clones appearing to attack, even Meowth was having problems detecting the real Water Type, causing him to panic.

"HEY! I only need one real Pokémon here!" Meowth shrieked as he tried to find the real one. "No way! Froakie! Use Water Pulse!" Ash called. All the clones leapt into the air, launching their Water Pulse attacks!

The multiple attacks nearly knocked the robot off balance, forcing it to release Frogadier, Hawlucha, and Pikachu! "Wow! Froakie really did it!" Sanpei complimented in amazement.

"Okay then! Yuki! Let's go!" Ash cried out. The Hawlucha Boy blinked, before nodding along. "Right, Ash... Hawlucha! Use Focus Blast!" "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" The two boys cried out.

So, the two Pokémon shot into the air, shooting their special attacks at the robot, causing paralysis and explosion! Meowth screamed as Jessie and James panicked, realizing that their blasting off was close.

Ash then turned to Sanpei with a knowing grin. "Okay, Sanpei! Let's wrap this up!" Ash called. "Right!" Sanpei agreed. The two boys then turned to their Water Types, calling out their attacks.

"Use Water Pulse!" That was the only order the two Water Types needed as Froakie and Frogadier shot their combined Water Pulse attack at the robot, causing a huge explosion!

Team Rocket screamed as they were sent flying into the sky. "WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" Team Rocket screamed as they were out of sight. Once they were gone, the group cheered for their success.

"Alright! Pikachu and Froakie, you two are safe!" Ash exclaimed in relief. At that tone, both of his Pokémon got onto his shoulders, smirking at their trainer. "Thanks a lot, Hawlucha." Yuki thanked.

"Lucha!" Hawlucha replied, nodding with a smile. "You were great too, Frogadier!" Sanpei complimented. "Dier!" Frogadier croaked with a nod.

**That evening...**

It was sunset as the group prepared to part with Sanpei and his Water Type partner. "Frogadier? I think we owe them a great debt of gratitude for what they did to help us!" Sanpei reminded.

Frogadier let out a croak, at the sound of agreement. "We're the ones who should be thanking you! Thanks to you, Froakie was able to learn Double Team! I need to thank you too, Yuki!" Ash thanked.

Yuki blinked in confusion, before frowning. "For what? Sanpei did most of the teaching while I just stood back." Yuki reminded, causing Ash to smile. "Ash... That was the most amazing Double Team that I've ever seen, other than my brothers'!" Sanpei admitted.

"Thanks... Although, it started out as a Quick Attack, but that's okay, too." Ash assured, smiling sheepishly. "Froakie's Double Team should be useful from here on out!" Clemont assured.

"It should give you enough time to make another move during a battle!" Serena added. "Not only that, it could give you a boost on your Cyllage City Gym battle!" Yuki reminded, recalling of their current destination.

"Lucha!" Hawlucha agreed, folding his arms. The Kanto trainer nodded back as he turned to the young ninja. "Okay then, we're off! Let's have another battle when we meet again, okay?" Ash offered.

He held out his hand as Sanpei smiled, taking the offer. "You've got yourself a deal! Of course, I'll also need to battle you again, Yuki, when the time comes." Sanpei agreed, as he turned to the Hawlucha Boy.

"Right. I won't hold back on our second battle!" Yuki assured. The three boys nodded together, which began their farewell to each other.

**Later...**

As the group was walking down on the path, separated from Sanpei, Yuki began to think, while frowning. "What was that feeling I just had... When Hawlucha, Pikachu, and Frogadier were caught?" Yuki thought.

He looked at his right hand, seeing it tremble a little. "I feel like... there's another me inside my body... wanting to come out... But what?" Yuki asked himself, catching Hawlucha's attention.

"Lucha?" Hawlucha asked. Yuki blinked, before he turned to his friend. "Oh... It's nothing, Hawlucha." Yuki lied, smiling. Ash and Pikachu glanced at their friend, concerned.

"Yuki..." "Pika..." The two whispered, knowing that the darkness will come back someday.

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 29: The PokéFlute Needed to Awaken!**

**Chapter 30: A Trade Worth for the Price!**

**Chapter 31: Brainwash on Hawlucha and Pikachu!?**

**Chapter 32: Ash VS Pikachu!? Yuki VS Hawlucha!?**

**Chapter 33: The Rivalry At the Chateau!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Gah! What is that noise!? It's like someone is trying to pull my ears off!

Clemont: It's a Snorlax! I'm guessing that its yawning was the reason why that loud noise occurred.

King of Shabboneau Palace: The reason Snorlax is still sleeping like that is because the Princess of Parfum Palace took the PokéFlute with her! And I can't wake Snorlax back without it!

Princess Allie: Ha ha! If you really think I would just hand it over, you're badly mistaken! I might consider though, if you hand over your Pikachu and Hawlucha, boys!

Yuki: That's what only a hypocrite would ask! Do you really think we would just hand over our partners to you!?

Clemont: I will not stand for your childishness at all!


	29. The PokéFlute Needed to Awaken!

**Chapter 29: The PokéFlute Needed to Awaken!**

"So this is Camphrier Town!" Ash exclaimed in amazement. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed, looking around. "Right! It's a town where you can taste the ages!" Serena explained, checking out her guide.

The group had arrived at Camphrier Town, which was a town that led their way to Cyllage City for Ash and Yuki's second Kalos Gym Badge. They had stopped along the way to visit the town to see its history.

"What does taste the ages mean?" Bonnie asked, confused. "It means that the town has the wealth of history, with a lot of old buildings still standing!" Clemont explained, looking around.

Yuki looked at the buildings, seeing that they were indeed old, but it was still standing. Hawlucha folded his arms, a little amused by the town, while a little bored at this time.

Suddenly, there was a loud roar, which rang everyone's ears out! "AHH!" Ash yelped, covering his ears. "EEK! That's loud!" Bonnie screamed. "My ears!" Serena complained, covering them.

"What a terrible noise!" Clemont commented, covering his ears. The Fighting duo covered their ears as they both looked around. "It feels like someone is snoring or roaring or something!" Yuki yelled.

"Hawlucha cha!" Hawlucha snapped, annoyed by the sudden loud noise. Suddenly, after a few seconds, the loud noise stopped, which caused everyone to be relieved and confused at the same time.

"Huh? That's weird! It just stopped!" Bonnie pointed out. "Well, that's a relief!" Serena sighed, confused as well. Clemont frowned as he turned to a woman who seemed to be sweeping the dust on the streets.

"Uh, hi! Ma'am, could you tell us on what that noise was!?" Clemont called. But, to his surprise, the woman didn't seem to hear him, but only caught her attention. The woman blinked, looking at the group.

"Huh? What?" The woman asked, looking like she couldn't hear. This time, both Yuki and Hawlucha fell over, thinking that the woman was deaf or something. "What in the world..." Yuki grumbled.

"Cha..." Hawlucha grumbled along, thinking the same thing. Then, the woman blinked, remembering something. "Oh! I'm sorry... Just a second!" The woman called, pulling out her earplugs on her ears.

The Lumiose Gym Leader sighed, before asking the question again. "I was just wondering to know what that terrible noise was just now." Clemont requested. The woman smiled sadly, knowing what he meant.

"Oh... That noise... Well, it's this way. Follow me if you want to see!" The woman called. She took off, walking to where the noise came from. The group only looked at each other, before they followed the woman.

**[Pokémon: XY Volt Opening (English Subbed)]**

(Pikachu was shown kissing the screen until he ran with Ash, Yuki, and Hawlucha)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying,**_

(A scene showed a route crossroad, with Meowstic and a group of Swirlix floating by)

_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark, **_

(A grassfield where Vivillon, and Swanna groups are flying at a nearby town)

(Underwater where Water Type were swimming underwater)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were seeing a town from a bridge view)

_**Ice, Normal, Fighting, Fire,**_

(A flower field shows; a group of macarons show; a rainy night shows)

_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy,**_

(The group runs along the route in the city)

_**Come on, from here on out it's an adventure and there's only light ahead**_

(Ash's blue background show him and Pikachu sharing sandwiches together)

_**The sky overflows with a rain of tears but we push through**_

(Serena's pink background show her picking a hat, while Fennekin happily runs around her)

_**Come on, use your courage to be better than you were yesterday**_

(Clemont's blue and yellow background show him inventing a machine before it explodes, while Bonnie runs with Dedenne and Chespin)

_**Treasure any encounter  
****  
Heart's pounding, Challenger!**_

(Yuki's green background shows him and Hawlucha sparring with each other, while Litleo, Heracross, and Bulbasaur cheers)

_**Someday, my dream will be fulfilled **_

(Ash, Yuki, Hawlucha, and Pikachu were running only to be blocked by a huge cliff)

(Silhouettes of Kalos Gym Leaders shine in front of the two)

_**That's what you have taught me, and that's why I travel**_

(Serena place a hand on Ash's left shoulder, Clemont places a hand on Yuki's right shoulder, Bonnie grabs the two's hands together)

(The group runs to the field on their journey)

_**As the red ring of bonds spreads far and wide**_

I'll definitely reach out to everyone with this energy I suddenly feel

(Ash and Yuki make attack calls; Pikachu and Hawlucha fights and defeat the trainers' Honedge and Pangoro)

_**This blue planet of ours is shining with hope**_

(Clemont calls for attacks; Chespin uses Pin Missile, and Bunnelby uses Dig)

(Bonnie cheers, as Dedenne uses Thundershock)

(Serena calls for an attack; Fennekin uses Ember)

(Yuki calls for attacks; Bulbasaur uses Razor Leaf, Litleo uses Ember, Heracross uses Megahorn, and Hawlucha uses Karate Chop)

_**The yellow flowers bloom**_

(Ash calls for attacks: Froakie uses Water Pulse, Fletchling uses Steel Wing, as Pikachu uses Electro Ball)

(A Mega Evolution sign appears; Mega Lucario roars, sending huge power)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying**_  
_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark**_  
_**Ice, Normal, Fire, Fighting**_  
_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy**_

(Xerneas and Yvetal appears; The Japanese opening title appears)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie smile at the viewers with their Pokémon)

**(Title opening ends)**

"Look! Over there!" The woman called. She pointed to a Pokémon that seemed to be the culprit of the loud noise. Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all looked to see who it was.

Ash blinked, recognizing the Pokémon. "What... Snorlax!?" Ash yelped in surprise. Yuki sweat dropped, laughing nervously. "I can see why the noises were loud... It came from its snoring..." Yuki chuckled nervously.

"Lucha..." Hawlucha grumbled, annoyed with the Normal Type already. As for Bonnie, she squealed, sounding happy to see a new Pokémon in her eyes. "Wow! I've never seen one up close before!" Bonnie exclaimed.

Serena took out her Pokédex, scanning the sleeping Pokémon. _"Snorlax, the Sleeping Pokémon. After eating its fill, Snorlax is too sleepy to move. Small children sometimes play on its belly."_ Serena's Pokédex buzzed.

"I'm certain that loud noise you all just heard was Snorlax snoring..." The woman explained. That caused the Gym leader to be confused. "But why is it sleeping at the center of town?" Clemont asked.

"Well, you see, this town and Snorlax has always had a symbiotic relationship!" The woman explained. "Symbiotic?" Ash repeated in confusion. "That would mean that the town and Snorlax helps each other out, right?" Yuki asked.

"Right!" The woman chuckled. She then recalled of the history of Camphrier Town and Snorlax as she explained it out loud to the group.

"Every year about this time, Snorlax would always come down from the mountains to eat up all our crop roots that are leftover after we finished our harvest!" The woman explained.

That made Serena frown, asking her question. "Wait... Isn't that a bad thing?" Serena asked. The woman giggled, shaking her head. "Not at all! In fact, as Snorlax digs up the root, it plows the field, which gives us a good harvest for the next year!" The woman explained.

Ash and Pikachu were both in awe as they kept listening. "Then... When Snorlax is finished eating, we have a harvest festival as a way of showing Snorlax our gratitude for its help!" The woman explained.

"So, I'm guessing this is what all the people are preparing here right now, right? The decorations and all the preparations?" Yuki asked, seeing the people and kids preparing for something.

"Right! And then, at the close of the festival, the lord of Shabboneau Castle plays the PokéFlute, while Snorlax finishes up the town's offering! And then, it dances all the way back to its mountaintop home!" The woman concluded.

"Wait... Does that mean the festival hasn't started yet?" Ash asked. That question left the woman frowning as she tried to explain. "Well... You see..." The woman started, only to be interrupted.

"Hey! Wake up!" One boy called. Everyone gave their attention to Snorlax, as two kids came up, with a boy climbing onto his stomach, while a girl was trying to push the Sleeping Pokémon.

"Come on! Wake up, please?" The boy pleaded. "Yeah! We want to see you dance! So please wake up, Snorlax! Please?" The girl pleaded as she pushed the Sleeping Pokémon's arm.

However, nothing seemed to be waking the Normal Type up, as Snorlax kept on sleeping and sleeping with no desire to stand. "The town people is all ready for the festival to begin, but the way things are, there's no way we'll be able to!" The woman explained.

She gave a sigh, looking at the far Shabboneau Palace. "We have a big problem for not waking Snorlax up..." The woman explained, which piped up Serena, asking her question.

"What's the big problem?" Serena asked. "The Lord of the Shabboneau Palace who plays the flute to wake Snorlax, for some reason, refuses to come to this festival!" The woman explained.

"Does he have a certain reason for not coming to the festival?" Yuki asked. The woman shrugged, before guessing. "I'm guessing that he must've had something to deal with... If he didn't, maybe he would've been able to come!" The woman answered.

Just as she answered, Snorlax's snoring began once again! Everyone yelped in shock as they covered their ears to block out the large sound waves from the snoring. Even the townspeople were covering their ears!

"OW! STOP!" Bonnie shrieked. "It feels like my ears are going to pop out!" Serena shrieked. Yuki gritted his teeth, turning to the two girls in frustration. "Well, I suppose that any of you have an idea!?" Yuki called.

Clemont seemed to have one as he sneered, his glasses flashing. "Heh heh heh! I say that this is my cue to step in and help! Which means that the future is now, thanks to science!" Clemont called.

"WHAT?" Everyone asked, startling Clemont. After regaining his composure, the Gym Leader dug into his backpack, pulling out a small clock, which seemed to be a special clock of some sort.

"I have the perfect device for this situation! Clemontic Gear, on! I invented it to get Bonnie out of bed, because she takes forever to get up! It's the Bonnie-Out-of-Bed-omatic!" Clemont explained.

The little sister widened her eyes in surprise, much to her annoyance. "Wait... What!?" Bonnie shrieked in surprise. "So, is that thing going to wake up Snorlax!?" Ash called, sounding impressed.

"Indeed! Cranking the volume as far as it will go... Now, make sure your ears are all covered!... And... GO!" Clemont explained. He activated the clock, causing it to move around, making loud noises.

"MORNING, RING-RING-RING!" The clock rang. It kept going on, battling against Snorlax's yawning, as the two sound waves clashed together, creating a very loud, and unpleasant noise.

The two sounds clashed for a few seconds, but a few seconds seemed to be too much for Bonnie. "STOP! Stop that loud noise, both of you!" Bonnie shrieked. But then, the clock started to heat up, giving smoke.

Clemont noticed and sweat dropped. "I think something has gone terribly wrong!" Clemont called. Right as he said that, the clock exploded, covering everyone right near the clock covered with soot.

As the smoke cleared, Ash coughed up smoke, before rubbing his eyes. "I don't think it worked..." Ash grunted. Clemont puffed out smoke as well, while managing to say a few words.

"But, I'm sure that explosion was loud enough for Snorlax to wake up, right?" Clemont asked. Unfortunately, the Lumiose Gym Leader was proven wrong when the fat, Sleeping Pokemon was still sleeping, rubbing its giant stomach.

Yuki and Hawlucha both fell over, as the Hawlucha Boy shook his head, clearing the soot off of him and his Fighting Type partner. "It doesn't seem so to me..." Yuki grunted, disappointed. "Hawlucha..." Hawlucha agreed, shaking his head.

"Oh, come on! Get up, already!" Bonnie snapped, pouting for the Snorlax's deep sleep. Clemont gave a deep sigh, seeing that another one of his inventions have failed once again.

While the others are thinking about a way for the Sleeping Pokémon to wake up, Ash and Yuki both turned to hear some people worrying about Snorlax not waking up. "What are we going to do if Snorlax doesn't wake up?" One man asked.

"Well, nobody will get a nice sleep, and it'll all be a wreck..." The woman reminded. The two then began to think over on who to contact; Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny. By the time they were talking it over, everyone else watched.

Ash frowned, turning back to Snorlax. "People are having a hard time, but I feel bad for Snorlax, too! We've got to help Snorlax out before it gets into more trouble!" Ash declared.

Yuki folded his arms, knowing of one thing. "Well, there's only one thing that could wake Snorlax up... And that's the PokéFlute, except that only that Lord of Shabboneau Castle has it..." Yuki pointed out.

Ash and Serena nodded along in agreement as the Kanto trainer made his declaration. "We can't just leave it like this..." "Yeah!" The two stated together. The woman smiled, before thinking it over.

"What you said earlier, it seems that the only way to wake up Snorlax is for the Lord of Shabboneau Castle plays the PokéFlute!" The woman stated. That was when Serena made a suggestion.

"So then, why don't we ask the Lord of Shabboneau Castle to help us out?" Serena asked. Everyone took a look at the castle, as the woman gave another reminder to the group.

"The townspeople all asked the Lord of Shabboneau Castle to come out several times, but he always has an excuse on why he can't!" The woman explained. Yuki and Ash stepped together, both filled with determination.

"Then, I'll go to the Shabboneau Castle myself!" Ash declared. "I'll go, too!" Yuki added. The woman blinked in surprise and amazement. "You will?" The woman asked in amazement. Yuki nodded as Ash explained.

"Yeah! If I just explain to him of what's going on, I'm sure that he'll play the flute in order to wake Snorlax up!" Ash assured. Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie all nodded together, saying their agreements.

"Yeah!" "Ash and Yuki are right!" The three agreed. As they all agreed, the five all headed to the Shabboneau Castle, with the directions set up by the woman. Soon, they were at the front gates of the castle.

"HELLO!" "PIKA!" Ash and Pikachu cried out together. As soon as they called, the drawbridge of the castle fell down, giving entrance to the group. An old servant walked up, greeting the five.

"Hello there! How can I help you young people out on this fine afternoon?" The steward asked. Yuki made the answer as he cleared his throat. "We would like to see the Lord of Shabboneau Castle, please. It's about the PokéFlute." Yuki explained.

"Hawlucha!" Hawlucha cried with a nod. "Well, well! If that's the case, then you all must have traveled a long way from Camphrier Town! Please, come in!" The steward chuckled.

As the steward led the group to the throne of the Lord, the guards all let out their horns, announcing the Lord. "Presenting the Master of the Shabboneau Castle... Lord Shabboneau!" The steward declared.

The curtains flew by, revealing a small man, who seemed to be the king or lord of the castle. "Shabboneau, bon, bon... Could you all tell me on what brings you all to my castle home?" Lord Shabboneau asked.

Ash then took his turn, explaining the situation. "We need your help! Please play the PokéFlute at this year's Harvest Festival like you've always had done!" Ash pleaded, causing the Lord to perk up.

Immediately, the Lord cleared his throat, making one of his excuses. "O-Oh! That is what a bored time!" The Lord scoffed as he stepped out of throne, walking away. "W-Wait! Lord Shabboneau!?" Yuki called.

"Snorlax is asleep at the center and won't wake up!" Clemont explained. "That is why we need you to play the PokéFlute!" Serena explained. Even Bonnie joined in, pleading very hard.

"Oh, pretty please!?" Bonnie pleaded. The Lord stopped, before sighing sadly. "Oh... I would if I could, but... No can do... I'm allergic to the flute now... So, when I play... I break out and hide!" Lord Shabboneau lied.

The Fighting duo narrowed their eyes at that. "Wait... Allergic!? To a flute!?" Yuki snapped angrily. "Hawlucha cha!?" Hawlucha snapped, glaring at the now frightened Lord Shabboneau.

"Hold on... So, if you can't play, then please, lend us your flute!" Ash called. Immediately, the Lord panicked again, causing more suspiciousness for the Fighting duo. "What now?" Yuki asked, suspicious.

"Uh... Well, I have now such a huge fear of the PokéFlute! So, I panicked and just threw it away!" The Lord panicked as he showed his act. That caused Ash and Serena to panic as Ash gasped.

"W-What!? Threw it away!?" Ash gasped. Yuki shook his head with disappointment. "Is that the real reason, Lord Shabboneau?" Yuki asked. "Lucha cha Haw?" Hawlucha asked, suspicious. The steward cleared his throat, stepping up.

"Now, Lord Shabboneau... I understand that you're saying this all in order to protect your family name, but I'm certain you'll regret lying to these children later. So perhaps, you should just tell the truth!" The steward suggested.

The Lord Shabboneau sighed, before fiddling with his fingers. "Ooh... What to do... Oh dear..." Lord Shabboneau sighed. He then took a deep breath, before exhaling it as he explained.

"Alright then, here's the truth... You see, the PokéFlute was at my castle at one time, but not now." Lord Shabboneau explained. Ash gulped as he asked. "But, what happened to it?" Ash asked.

Before the Lord could answer, Serena asked another question. "Did somebody break it?" Serena asked. "No, no! Nothing like that!" Lord Shabboneau answered, earning sighs from the two siblings.

"Huh... So, what happened to it, then?" Clemont asked. The Lord sighed, recalling of his poor times. "I'm afraid that she just grabbed it." Lord Shabboneau answered, earning surprised gasps from the group.

"She? Who is she?" Yuki asked. "Who I'm talking about is about Princess Allie. Princess Allie, from Parfum Palace, who had located the next town visited my castle. She exclaims, 'Oh ho ho! This PokéFlute is so pretty!', and took it home with her!" Lord Shabboneau explained.

Yuki blinked at hearing the princess as Ash asked, confused. "Wait... You just allowed the princess to take it?" Ash asked. "You see, once Princess Allie makes up her mind, it's impossible to get her to change." The steward explained.

"Say what?" Yuki asked, disappointed at this princess. Ash and Pikachu exclaimed out their shocks as the Lord sobbed his tears out. "He's right..." The Lord sobbed, as Clemont raised his question.

"And you're just okay with that?" Clemont asked. "Isn't it a family heirloom?" Serena asked along. The Lord sighed, before continuing. "Sadly, it is... Princess Allie's father has been kind to me, so I couldn't put my foot down!" Lord Shabboneau explained.

Yuki's left eye twitched in annoyance. _"Ugh... So that's the only reason why? This princess must be such a brat for snagging that flute without permission..."_ Yuki thought, annoyed with the princess.

The Kanto trainer grew determined for the townspeople and Camphrier Town as he stepped up. "Well, you can count on me to get it back from her! No doubt! Then, you'll be able to play it at the festival!" Ash assured.

Immediately, the Lord of Shabboneau Castle brightened up, feeling happy about that. "Splendid! Then, I'll be happy to perform at the Harvest Festival!" Lord Shabboneau exclaimed.

Yuki smiled in approval, nodding to the idea. "Great! Let's go, then!" Yuki called. "Right!" "Pika!" "Lucha!" The others and the two Pokémon agreed. With that, the group left as the Lord turned to his steward.

"Why don't we wait for them at Camphrier Town?" The Lord asked. "As you wish, Lord Shabboneau." The steward agreed. So, as agreed, the two moved out as well to head for Camphrier Town.

**Later...**

The group had finally arrived at the Parfum Palace, only for the front gates to be guarded and the surroundings to be surrounded by huge hedges. As the group walked around, Clemont grew amazed.

"I'd say that these hedges are part of Parfum Palace!" Clemont stated. Serena looked down, shocked to see Bonnie digging under the hedges. "What... Bonnie!? What are you doing down there!?" Serena shrieked.

Bonnie popped her head out, with a flashy grin. "I think we can all sneak in through here!" Bonnie explained, pointing at a hole under the hedges. Yuki smirked and gave the little girl a thumbs up.

"Nice! Great eye, Bonnie!" Yuki complimented. So, with that all settled, the group snuck under the hedges, seeing themselves in front of the Parfum Palace's giant garden. They all said their awes by the size of the place.

"Wow... What a giant garden!" Serena commented. "I wouldn't want to mow the lawn!" Bonnie stated, seeing the hedge mazes and the neat garden that was done. Suddenly, there was a growling as everyone turned to see who it was.

It was a Furfrou! It growled and barked at them, positioning itself for an attack! "Whoa! Who's that Pokémon!?" Ash asked in surprise. The Hawlucha Boy sweat dropped, turning to the Kanto trainer.

"You've seen this before, Ash... It's a Furfrou with a different style!" Yuki answered. Ash yelped at that, seeing that he mistakenly thought the Furfrou as another Pokémon! The Furfrou kept yapping at them, much to Hawlucha's annoyance.

Hawlucha mumbled under his breath, before getting himself into a battling position. However, just as a wild battle was about to be engaged, a girl's voice scolded the growling Furfrou.

"Furfrou! Stop this at once!" The girl scolded. The Furfrou blinked, before running to its master, who seemed to be a princess of some sort. Yuki looked up to see the little princess as he narrowed his eyes.

_"So this must be Princess Allie... The selfish princess..."_ Yuki thought darkly as he suddenly grew annoyed. As Furfrou stood besides its princess, the princess giggled, rubbing its head.

"Ah ha ha ha ha! Furfrou dear, you shouldn't be playing with all this trash! It'll give you a tummy ache!" The princess giggled. As she laughed, some maids threw flower petals around her as the princess held her fan.

The word trash struck the group as Ash grew bewildered, while the Hawlucha Boy grew annoyed. "Hey! Did you just call us trash!?" Ash complained. Clemont adjusted his glasses, before asking his question.

"Uh... Might you be Princess Allie?" Clemont asked. The young princess let out a devilish smirk as she laughed again, as the petals flew around her. She held her fan and laughed.

"Ah ha ha ha! Indeed I am, Princess Allie! Parfum Palace is my home!" Princess Allie cackled. "So lovely!" The maids exclaimed, as they all threw more petals around their young, but greedy princess.

Serena laughed nervously while Bonnie was amazed at the girl. "Wow! You're a real live princess!?" Bonnie asked, amazed as she grew excited, causing both Yuki and Serena to sweat drop.

"Getting the PokéFlute back might not be so easy..." Serena stated. "You can say that again..." Yuki sighed, while Hawlucha folded his arms in disappointment. Ash cleared his throat, making his request.

"Princess Allie, give us the PokéFlute back, alright?" Ash asked. Right after he asked, his request was quickly turned down. "Not going to happen!" Princess Allie sneered, raising Yuki his question.

"And your reason?" Yuki asked. The greedy princess turned, narrowing her eyes. "Because my things are my things, and things that are given to me are my things as well! So, the PokéFlute is one of my things and it's all mine!" Princess Allie explained.

She and the maids began to laugh again together, causing Yuki to be a little ticked off. _"Okay... Scratch annoying... This little brat is really getting on my nerves... Twice, that is!"_ Yuki thought angrily.

"She's weird, alright..." Ash sighed. Bonnie's opinion about the princess immediately changed as she pouted. "She's awful and she's selfish, too!" Bonnie complained. Clemont tried to get her to reconsider by explaining the situation.

"The town won't be able to start the Harvest Festival without the flute!" Clemont explained. "And Snorlax is snoring so loudly, that the townspeople can't get any sleep!" Serena added.

Princess Allie only giggled at that, refusing to give up. "If so, they should just go to their seaside millers and they should take a nappy-poo! AH ha ha ha ha!" Princess Allie taunted, laughing again.

Ash refused to give in as he explained more. "At this rate, the townspeople are gonna end up hating Snorlax! I can't let that happen!" Ash explained. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

"Do you have any emotions for the villagers? Or are you saying this because you're a greedy brat?" Yuki taunted. "Lucha Haw." Hawlucha scoffed, turning away from the princess.

"Oh...?" Princess Allie whispered. She gave a long gaze at both Pikachu and Hawlucha, while Pikachu blinked in surprise, Hawlucha could only glare back with suspicion in his eyes.

After gazing at the two for a long time, the greedy princess moved up to the two boys, staring at both Pikachu and Hawlucha. "Hm? Would this Pikachu and Hawlucha belong to you two boys?" Princess Allie asked.

"Uh, yeah... He's my partner!" "The same goes for me and Hawlucha!" The two boys responded as Princess Allie narrowed her eyes. She kept inspecting the two before making her words.

"Every Pikachu has a different cheek sizes than a different Pikachu, and a Hawlucha has different personalities within themselves..." Princess Allie commented, causing Yuki to blink.

"Yes? So what's your point?" Yuki asked. "Well, this Pikachu has the perfect size of its cheeks, with the roundness and redness just right! As for Hawlucha here, this personality completely matches as a powerful prince or guardian!" Princess Allie smirked.

She took hold of Pikachu's cheeks, feeling it as she snickered. She even held up Hawlucha's winged arms, inspecting his wings, much to the Wrestling Pokémon's embarrassment.

"It's splendid! For both of them, in my opinion! Such splendid Pokémon are unworthy of you two, so I'll be graciously taking these two, adding them to my heirloom!" Princess Allie declared.

At that remark, both boys and their starters were shocked, as Yuki was more angry than shocked. "WHAT!? No way! Pikachu is my buddy and that's the end of that!" Ash snapped.

"As for Hawlucha, he is my partner and my best friend! So to be in the greedy hands of yours, it completely does not match with you at all! End of story!" Yuki scolded along. The two boys took their partners back; Pikachu in Ash's arms, while Hawlucha in Yuki's left side.

The princess pouted angrily at that, before she called out one of her maids. "Bring them out!" Princess Allie called. "Ma'am!" The maid replied. She brought over a cart, that was hidden under the tarp.

The tarp was removed, showing plenty of gold, riches, and jewelries! Serena and Bonnie were both amazed and shocked, as Clemont was amazed. Yuki was unfazed as Ash blinked in surprise.

"What if I give you all these treasures for just a single Pikachu and Hawlucha?" Princess Allie offered. Immediately, Yuki declined the offer. "You're out of your mind! Only a fool would accept these!" Yuki snapped.

"Right! What Yuki said!" Ash agreed. Both Pikachu and Hawlucha sighed in relief, but was annoyed with the princess. As for Allie, she wasn't impressed by their decision and asked the maid to take the treasures away.

She then blinked, before getting another devilish grin. She had another idea... but it was of course, going to be something that both Ash and Yuki wouldn't like at all.

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Tackle, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 30: A Trade Worth for the Price!**

**Chapter 31: Brainwash on Pikachu and Hawlucha!?**

**Chapter 32: Ash VS Pikachu!? Yuki VS Hawlucha!?**

**Chapter 33: ****The Rivalry At the Chateau!**

**Chapter 34: Yuki VS Sama! Viola VS Grant!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Princess Allie: If it's the PokéFlute you want, why don't we have a battle for it! I win, and you hand over both Pikachu and Hawlucha!

Serena: That's completely wrong! You can't bet on a Pokémon in battle!

Yuki: Win or not, you had something else on your mind, like, not keeping your promise even if we win?

Princess Allie: Well then, if that's the case, I'll be taking Clemont with me in exchange for the PokéFlute!

Clemont: WHAT!? ME!? Why me!? Why do I have to be involved in this crisis!?

Ash: I got it! Lord Shabboneau! We got back the PokéFlute! Now Snorlax can wake up now!


	30. A Trade Worth for the Price!

**Chapter 30: A Trade Worth for the Price!**

Last time on "Pokémon Kalos Journey", the group were continuing on their way to Cyllage City for Ash and Yuki's second Kalos Gym battle, only for them to stop by at Camphrier Town, seeing the preparation for a harvest festival.

Right after they had arrived, there was a large noise, as it turned out to be large snores from a wild Snorlax, who has a good relationship with the town. However, without the PokéFlute to play, Snorlax won't wake up!

So, with Ash and Yuki's determination, the group heads first to Shabboneau Castle to see the Lord of the Shabboneau Castle, requesting him to play the PokéFlute for the beginning of the Harvest Festival.

When Lord Shabboneau explains that it has been taken away from him by Princess Allie of Parfum Palace, the group immediately heads to the Parfum Palace for the retrieval of the flute, only for it to be refused by the greedy princess herself.

But, when she saw Hawlucha and Pikachu, she declared to take them as her heirlooms, only for the two boys to refuse, even with a large amount of royal treasures! Their refusal seemed to have deepened their bonds with their starters at that.

How will the group get the PokéFlute back, and how will the Harvest Festival in Camphrier Town go when the flute is played?

"Hm... If I recall... You want the PokéFlute, correct?" Princess Allie asked. Yuki and Ash both blinked together as the Kanto trainer got some hopes up. "Yeah! Will you give it back?" Ash asked.

But then, the princess smirked devilishly, folding her royal fan. "Let's have a battle. A Tag Battle, that is! My Furfrou and my other special Pokémon against Pikachu and Hawlucha!" Princess Allie declared.

"A Tag Battle?" Yuki repeated, suspicious at this. "I declare that we should bet on the PokéFlute for Pikachu and Hawlucha!" Princess Allie declared, sounding serious. Those words immediately caused negative reactions.

"No way!" Clemont snapped. "How could you do such a horrible thing!?" Serena snapped angrily. Bonnie and Dedenne both pouted angrily at her decision, which caused the princess to only smirk.

"Well then, you can forget about it. But, I'm warning you, that this is your one and only chance to get the PokéFlute!" Princess Allie reminded. Yuki narrowed his eyes in annoyance as Ash grew puzzled.

"Oh man... Now what?" Ash asked. As for their starters, the two ran up in front of them, both making their decisions. "Hawlucha cha Haw!" Hawlucha declared. "Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu replied.

"P-Pikachu? You really want to go through with this?" Ash asked. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed with a nod. Yuki bit his lips in worry, before asking. "So no matter how I try to persuade you, you won't change your mind, huh?" Yuki asked.

Hawlucha smirked and nodded, folding his arms. "Hawlucha!" Hawlucha agreed. He showed a few Karate Chops, chopping the air around him as Pikachu showed his electricity of determination.

It took a minute for the boys to think as they finally made their decisions. "Alright then. It's a deal!" Ash declared. Yuki nodded and made his suggestion. "Let's have that Tag Battle now!" Yuki demanded.

The two agreements left Princess Allie sneering in delight as she folded her fan once again. "Excellent." The greedy princess smirked. And so, everyone headed towards the Parfum Palace battlefield.

Yuki and Ash both faced Princess Allie with Pikachu and Hawlucha, while the princess only had Furfrou out. "Alright! If we win, you're going to give us back that PokéFlute!" Ash reminded.

"Enough talk! Let us begin! Klefki, come on out!" Princess Allie called. A key ring looking Pokémon appeared, floating in the air. "A Klefki? I've never seen that Pokémon before..." Ash admitted.

Yuki took out his Pokédex, scanning the Steel-Fairy Type. _"Klefki, the Key Ring Pokémon. Klefki loves to collect keys and will confront opponents with a fierce jingle of their collection."_ Yuki's Pokédex buzzed.

Clemont stood at the royal referee box above the battlefield. "Alright! Pikachu and Hawlucha versus Furfrou and Klefki in a two on two double battle! The battle will be over when each side is unable to continue! Agreed?!" Clemont called.

Ash - "Okay!"

Yuki - "Understood."

Princess Allie - "That's fine with me!"

With that settled, the Lumiose Gym Leader began the battle. "Alright then... Let the double battle begin!" Clemont declared. Both sides were ready, preparing their own attacks.

**Princess Allie: Furfrou + Klefki VS Ash &amp; Yuki: Pikachu + Hawlucha**

"Alright! Pikachu! Start this off with Quick Attack!" Ash yelled. Pikachu charged ahead towards Furfrou as Yuki stared at the other opponent. "In that case, we'll go to Klefki! Hawlucha, use Karate Chop!" Yuki called.

The Wrestling Pokémon let out a battle yell, flying towards the Key Ring Pokémon. The greedy princess smirked and laughed. "This should be easy, Furfrou! Klefki! Ah ha ha ha!" Princess Allie laughed.

Furfrou growled as she charged at Pikachu, tripping him! Pikachu yelped as he skidded towards Allie. "Now, dear Klefki! Use your Metal Sound!" Princess Allie cackled.

Klefki quickly floated into the air, ringing its keys, causing a loud sound to head towards both Pikachu and Hawlucha! Both of them gritted their teeth as they tried to resist the sound.

"Argh! That's loud, alright!" Yuki grunted, gritting his teeth. Suddenly, Ash blinked, noticing Furfrou charging at the two. "Pikachu! Behind you!" Ash yelled. Yuki blinked, before noticing as well.

"Hawlucha! Counter Furfrou with Aerial Ace!" Yuki yelled. Ash followed along, ordering an Iron Tail. The two charged at Furfrou as the princess got ready. "Now, Furfrou! Use Bite!" Princess Allie called.

Much to Hawlucha and Pikachu's surprise, the Dragon Type bit into both of them, before throwing them towards the ground! At their fall, Klefki made its move. "Now, Klefki! Fairy Wind!" Princess Allie called.

The fall was much more harder as the Fairy Wind blew them to the ground. Hawlucha took a lot of damage from the Fairy Wind, while Pikachu held on. "Pikachu! You okay!?" "Hawlucha!?" Ash and Yuki cried out.

Pikachu nodded to Ash with a smile as Hawlucha shook the damage off, grinning in amusement. "Haw cha cha..." Hawlucha smirked. Princess Allie giggled, seeing their tough persistence.

"Nice! But, that's as far you two will get! Let us gather the rose with glorious bloom with Charge Beam and Psyshock, Furfrou! Klefki!" Princess Allie called. The two shot their attacks, combining their strengths against their opponents.

"Tch. Here it comes! Hawlucha, use Focus Blast!" "Pikachu! Help Hawlucha with Electro Ball!" The two boys yelled. Hawlucha first charged his Focus Blast, before he threw it to the combined attacks.

Pikachu combined the Focus Blast with Electro Ball, creating an electrifying sphere at the Psyshock and Charge Beam combo. The two combination exploded on each other, creating a mass of smoke.

As the smoke disappeared, Ash saw his chance. "Now! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled. The Electric Type jumped into the air, shooting the attack at Furfrou, as Yuki called out his attack.

"Use Flying Press on Klefki, Hawlucha!" Yuki called. While the Thunderbolt shocked Furfrou, Hawlucha slammed his chest onto Klefki with Flying Press, causing major damage on the Key Ring Pokémon.

Once the attack was a success, Furfrou's head was all bushed up from the electricity. Klefki had a few broken keys around it, with a few scratches on itself. That was enough to freak Princess Allie out as she let out a loud scream.

"EEEK! How dare you do that to my Furfrou and Klefki!?" Princess Allie screamed. The new sight of the two caused both Bonnie and Dedenne to snicker out loud. Serena tried not to laugh as she giggled.

"Looks like Furfrou has got a new hairdo while Klefki got rusty!" Serena teased. "Great job, Pikachu! Hawlucha!" Bonnie complimented. Dedenne kept on laughing as it fell on its back.

Hawlucha folded his arms with a boasting smile as Pikachu grinned. As for the princess, she grew disgusted with the damage her two Pokémon took. She angrily called for a maid.

"Take Furfrou to the Groomer right away! And get Klefki cleaned up with some new special keys!" Princess Allie called. "As you wish, ma'am." The maid replied, bowing down.

The two maids took Furfrou to the Groomer, back in the Palace, while one maid gently took Klefki to the palace to get it all cleaned up. The two Pokémon being taken away left Ash confused.

Yuki was more puzzled at this. "H-Hold on... What about our battle?" Ash asked. Clemont looked down at the princess, calling to her. "Princess Allie! Are you forfeiting!?" Clemont called.

The princess pouted, turning her head away angrily. "It can't be helped! My Furfrou can't battle while looking so atrocious!" Princess Allie snapped. The Gym Leader smiled as he turned to the two boys.

"That would mean a forfeit, which means that Pikachu and Hawlucha are the winners!" Clemont declared. Both Pikachu and Hawlucha blinked, before they high fived each other for their victory.

**Ash &amp; Yuki: Winner**

"Alright! We did it, Yuki!" Ash exclaimed. "Yeah! It's our win! So... I believe that now is the time for you to hand back the PokéFlute now, Princess Allie!" Yuki called, looking at the pouting princess.

But, to everyone's surprise, she seemed to have called off the bet! "I will not return anything since I lost!" Princess Allie snapped. At that, both Yuki and Ash fell over, while Hawlucha and Pikachu's jaws fell as they all grew furious at that.

"HEY! But that wasn't the deal that we made!" Ash bellowed angrily. "Are you saying that you never intended to give us back the PokéFlute! You sneaky little...!" Yuki snapped angrily.

Princess Allie sighed, before smiling as if taunting the boys. "Ha! If only you boys were listening, the only thing I said we were to use the PokéFlute, Pikachu, and Hawlucha in our battle, and nothing more!" Princess Allie reminded.

She then sneered at the two with her lie said. "After I had defeated the two of you, I was going to give you the PokéFlute! But since you boys were the winners, I insist that you hand over both Pikachu and Hawlucha right this instant!" Princess Allie demanded.

"Why, you little...!" Yuki growled. "Really!? What kind of bet is that!?" Ash snapped. Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all ran over to confront this situation. "It makes no sense at all!" "That's right!" Bonnie and Serena snapped.

The complaints only made Princess Allie laugh along with her maids. "Ha! Well, since I live in this palace, that means I make all the rules-" Princess Allie started, only for Clemont to walk up.

Yuki darkly walked up, as the princess noticed. "Something wrong?" Princess Allie asked. "You disgust me... you little brat." Yuki snapped. He snatched the fan away from Allie, much to her shock.

He then snapped it in half with little effort, causing Ash, Serena, and Bonnie to gasp in surprise. Allie was at most furious at this. "What is the meaning of this! That fan was quite expensive!" Princess Allie snapped.

Clemont adjusted his glasses, unfazed by Yuki's actions. "Your unscientific selfishness might be tolerated at your palace, but not out in the real world! We refuse your ridiculous demands!" Clemont snapped.

The princess grew surprised as she was speechless at Clemont's words. The Gym Leader narrowed his eyes, as he pointed directly at the greedy princess with a reminder to her.

"Ash and Yuki both battled hard together, even if it meant putting their precious partners, Pikachu and Hawlucha on the line! Of course, they trusted you to give up the flute, if they won!" Clemont explained.

The princess blinked as Clemont continued. "If you insist on acting so selfishly, I'm afraid you're not going to have any friends left!" Clemont scolded. But, at that, the princess covered her face with her hands.

Sniffling were heard, as it sounded like Princess Allie was crying. "What are you crying about, Princess? You caused all of this to happen, so we should be more upset than you are!" Yuki snapped.

Serena and Bonnie didn't seem to think much as Bonnie pointed it out. "I think you two might've been too harsh, big brother... Yuki." Bonnie reminded. "You didn't have to break her fan or yell at her like that!" Serena added.

The Hawlucha Boy frowned angrily at that, before turning to the two girls. "So!? Are you saying it's not right to remind her of the faults that she had caused for herself and onto the people, who suffered so much than her!?" Yuki snapped.

At that, the girls backed off, knowing that their friend was right about one thing. "Yeah! And of course, at least somebody needed to tell her the truth!" Clemont pointed out.

But then, the princess made her call. "It's alright... He scolded me with such sincerity... That must mean you care a great deal about me, don't you?" Princess Allie asked, taking out another fan.

She folded her fan, getting the reflection of Clemont's face. "I what!?" Clemont yelped, surprised by her change of tone. The princess smiled sincerely, walking over to the Lumiose Gym Leader.

"I truly understand... There's no need for words..." Princess Allie assured. "Uh... You don't understand, really..." Clemont chuckled nervously, leaving the greedy princess in shock. "I don't!?" Allie gasped.

She then pouted, putting her hands on her hips. "Hmph! I suppose you can have the PokéFlute back." Princess Allie declared. That made Yuki and Hawlucha surprised while Clemont grew amazed.

"But, on one condition." Princess Allie added. That caused both Yuki and Ash to frown. "Hey! We're not giving Pikachu or Hawlucha to you!" Ash reminded angrily. But then, the princess seemed to be having a different thought.

"I suppose you can have the PokéFlute back... I insist that you leave this one for me!" Princess Allie explained. That caused the Lumiose Gym Leader to flip out as he looked like he was about to fall over.

"AHH!? You want me to stay!?" Clemont yelled in surprise. Ash, Yuki, Serena, and Bonnie all gasped of what the princess was saying at the moment. But then, Serena seemed to have gotten an idea.

She whispered it to Bonnie, who listened. Ash and Yuki both turned together to see the girls plotting. By the time the girls were done, both Serena and Bonnie seemed to be smiling for strange reasons.

Bonnie made the decision, saying her choice to the princess. "Okay then! You can have my brother if you want him!" Bonnie declared. That decision left Clemont shocked as he turned to his little sister.

"Bonnie!? How could you tell her that!?" Clemont scolded angrily. But, it was too late to take it back as the princess smirked. "Alright then! It's settled!" Princess Allie chuckled. She snapped her fingers, as the maid bowed.

"Ma'am!" The maid replied. She and the other maids headed back to the Parfum Palace while the group followed them inside. As for Clemont, he was more than bewildered for being forced to stay with the princess.

He was actually shocked for himself! But, he wasn't able to complain about it, now that the deal was done. So, after they were inside, one maid brought over a cart with another tarp on it.

"Now, please give them the PokéFlute!" Princess Allie ordered. The maid bowed before removing the tarp from the cart. What was under the tarp, was actually the real PokéFlute! The maid handed the flute to the Kanto trainer.

"Here. It's yours now." The maid assured. While Ash accepted the flute, the princess smirked. "You have your precious PokéFlute now!" Princess Allie stated, while the others nodded along.

"Thank you, Princess Allie!" Ash thanked. "Yeah... Oh, and by the way, take care of Clemont for us. He can be quite fragile." Yuki reminded. "Oh, I will. That's a promise!" Princess Allie giggled.

Bonnie didn't seem so concerned as she said her goodbyes to her big brother. "Have a good time there, big brother!" Bonnie giggled. Clemont was at most reluctant and hesitant to this idea.

"B-But, you guys!" Clemont complained. Even though Serena, Ash, Yuki, and Bonnie had told him about a plan to sneak him out of there, he was still doubtful that the plan would be a success.

**Flashback**

_"After we wake up Snorlax, we'll come back for you!" Serena assured. The group was walking along the royal hallway, where Princess Allie had led the group to the room where the PokéFlute was being stored._

_"So just hang in there for a little while!" Bonnie added. The Gym Leader started to complain as he turned to both Ash and Yuki. "But... But, you guys! Ash! Yuki! Help me!" Clemont pleaded. Yuki smiled apologetically while Ash smiled in assurance._

_"Don't worry about it! It'll be fine!" Ash assured. Now that the boys were agreeing, the Lumiose Gym Leader gave a deep sigh, seeing that he has no other choice but to go along with the plan._

**Flashback End**

"Um... Guys? Are you sure about this?" Clemont asked, sweating. Princess Allie held onto Clemont's right arm, giggling with delight. "Everything will be fine, Clemont!" Ash assured. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed.

"Think of it! You two might get along well!" Yuki added. "Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha agreed with a grin. For the girls, they said their words to the greedy princess. "Congratulations, princess!" Serena praised.

"Take care of my brother, okay?" Bonnie requested. Much to Clemont's horror, his four friends began to leave, leaving him with the greedy princess. He tried to call for them, or reach for them.

"G-Guys? Please, don't go! GUYS! DON'T LEAVE ME!" Clemont yelled. But, it was futile as the doors had closed, leaving the Lumiose Gym Leader trapped and in care by the greedy princess.

**Meanwhile...**

Back at Camphrier Town, all the citizens were waiting for Snorlax to wake up. The woman, the steward, and the Lord Shabboneau waited patiently, as they began to fear the worst for the group.

Before he could say something, there was a familiar voice calling out to him. "Lord Shabboneau!" Ash cried out. The three all turned to see Ash, Yuki, Serena, and Bonnie all running to his way!

"Oh my! They're back!" The woman exclaimed, smiling in relief. "It's true! And with the PokéFlute!" Lord Shabboneau added. With their words, the four all ran up to the three, as Yuki presented the flute.

"We got the flute back just like we said we would!" Yuki explained. "That's right! So, please play it!" Ash pleaded. He handed the flute to the Lord as Lord Shabboneau nodded with a smile. "Yes! Of course!" Lord Shabboneau agreed.

He positioned the flute near his mouth and was about to play it. But suddenly, something grabbed the flute right out of his hand, much to his shock and surprise. "Ah! My flute! What's going on!?" Lord Shabboneau gasped.

He dove after the flute, only to fall in a pile of Pecha Berries. "What the... Lord Shabboneau!?" Yuki gasped. "Lucha Haw!?" Hawlucha called. Everyone looked down, to see that Lord Shabboneau seemed to be okay, much to their relief.

Then, after assuring that Lord Shabboneau was okay, both Ash and Yuki glared up at the four figures sneering down at the Camphrier Town citizens. It was Team Rocket! And they had the PokéFlute in their hands.

"I should've known it was you crooks!" Ash snapped angrily. By his angry tone, the evil trio began their motto.

"Prepare for trouble, you don't know much!"

"And make it double, you're so out of touch!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of a twerp with a flute!"

"We extend our reach, and the problem is a moot!"

"Jessie!"

"And James!"

"Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare for a musical fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Not you idiots again. What are you planning to do right now!?" Yuki demanded. Hawlucha growled at seeing his enemies, as James let out smirk. "It's perfecto!" James stated. Jessie then held the flute in her hands.

"The flute that controls Snorlax controls the world!" Jessie explained. "Yeah! And that's the name of that tune!" Meowth added. Yuki blinked, before widening his eyes. "Don't tell me... you're planning to do that with all the Snorlax in the world!?" Yuki snapped.

"Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha snapped angrily. As for the Lord Shabboneau, he seemed desperate for his flute. "I'm the only one who can play that flute!" Lord Shabboneau complained, leaving Meowth to narrow one of his eyes.

"Yeah? Well, we'll see about that!" Meowth sneered. "We'll give it a few test runs and play a few rifts!" James declared. That suggestion left the Lord Shabboneau panicking as he turned purple in despair.

"Oh no! Don't do it!" Lord Shabboneau yelled. That only made James suspicious as he smirked. "Your Highness doth you protest so much, me thinks!" James taunted. Meowth turned to Jessie with his order.

"Play us a tune, Maestro!" Meowth called. Jessie sneered as she began to play the flute. "C-sharp of B-flat!" Jessie replied as she began to play the flute. However, it proved to make an awful tune of a music.

Even James, Meowth, and Wobbuffet seemed to think of it as awful! "AH! My ears!" James yelped. The awful tune got to everyone else as they all frowned at the sound. "I think you need to take lesson!" Meowth advised weakly.

"For the next five hundred years!" James added along, as he kept complaining about the awful noise. The sounds seemed to have gotten to Snorlax, as it started to wake up, in a bad mood.

Lord Shabboneau sighed, having his tears pour out like a waterfall. "I tried to tell you, that nobody can play it but me!" Lord Shabboneau moaned. As the sounds continued, Snorlax finally woke up, angry with the awful noise.

Everyone gasped to see the giant Pokémon finally awake now. "Ah! Snorlax woke up!" Ash pointed out. "And that awful noise put Snorlax into a bad mood!" Lord Shabboneau pointed out along.

He was proved to be right as the angry Pokémon looked around angrily to see the culprits of the awful noise. It yelled at Jessie angrily, while yelling at James and Meowth at the same time.

Jessie didn't seem to notice the anger, though. "Hm? You see that? Heads up, folks! I'm a genius! Alright, Snorlax! Obey me!" Jessie called. She began to play the flute in the awful way again.

The noise was louder this time, as it started to give the giant Pokémon a huge headache. Angrily, Snorlax roared, launching a Hyper Beam at Team Rocket. The move exploded on them, causing them to scream in pain.

The trio were sent flying into the air as Jessie complained. "No! I blew it!" Jessie shrieked. "WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" Team Rocket screamed as they were soon out of sight.

Once they were gone, the PokéFlute began to fall, only for Yuki to catch it in time. "I got it! The flute is now in safe hands!" Yuki exclaimed. Hawlu lu cha!" Hawlucha agreed, praising his trainer.

**Later...**

Once the Lord Shabboneau has recovered from his fall, he prepared himself, before playing the flute. As he played, the music gave off a peaceful and calm sound, which caused Snorlax to turn around.

When it noticed the berries, it grew excited as it ran over to the berry piles. "Look! Here comes Snorlax!" Ash pointed out. As he said, the Sleeping Pokémon walked over, and started snacking on the berries.

"Wow! Look at Snorlax go!" A kid cried out. "Thanks for all your help once again, Snorlax!" A woman thanked happily. "Yeah! Snorlax, go!" One man called out. By the time the cheering had ended, all the berries were gone.

Snorlax gave a sigh, sounding like it had enjoyed the berries. Ash, Yuki, Serena, and Bonnie all sighed in relief, seeing that all is well that ends well. "What a relief..." Ash sighed, smiling.

"You can say that again." Yuki agreed. "Pikachu..." "Hawlucha Haw." Even Pikachu and Hawlucha seemed to agree that it was a relief.

**Later...**

Snorlax was about to leave the town after doing its dance for the people as they all began to wave goodbye to Snorlax. The giant Pokémon smiled back and waved back, before taking its leave to its mountain home.

"Everything worked out just fine! Isn't it great, buddy?" Ash asked. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed, grinning. "Well, it's a relief that we managed to save this town's festival and all... What do you think, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked.

"Haw cha!" Hawlucha responded, sounding like he was relieved for the success as well. But then, Serena blinked, recalling that something or someone was missing. "Um... Aren't we forgetting something?" Serena asked.

Ash and Yuki both turned to the Vaniville girl before Bonnie let out a shriek. "AH! Clemont!" Bonnie gasped. Ash, Serena, and Yuki all began to sweat, realizing that they have forgotten their inventor friend.

Before they could talk, there was a familiar voice calling out to them. "Bonnie! You guys!" Clemont called out loud. The four all turned to see Clemont running towards them... in his underwear and his undershirt!

Serena let out a shriek, covering her face while the Hawlucha Boy face palmed with a sigh. Pikachu and Hawlucha blinked, before sighing. As for Ash and Bonnie, they were confused and amazed to see Clemont back.

"What happened to all your clothes?" Ash asked. "Ugh! I can't look!" Serena shrieked, turning away. "How did you escape from that palace? Did you use some sort of a machine to do so?" Yuki asked.

"Ah... It's all thanks to science!" Clemont explained, leaving the others confused. The Gym Leader then explained on how invented a machine to make replica that looked like him, only that it was a robot version of him.

He put his clothes on the robot, which allowed him to give him plenty of time to escape. By the time he had finished, the others were all giggling and snickering. "Wow... Poor Princess Allie is gonna get a shock of that." Yuki sighed, as he grinned.

"Hawlucha Haw..." Hawlucha snickered along. By then, the fireworks had begun, getting the group's attention. "Hey, look! It's fireworks!" Ash pointed out. "Wow... It looks beautiful!" Serena exclaimed.

The festival continued on until the excitement has gone...

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 31: Brainwash on Hawlucha and Pikachu!?**

**Chapter 32: Ash VS Pikachu!? Yuki VS Hawlucha!?**

**Chapter 33: The Rivalry At the Chateau!**

**Chapter 34: Yuki VS Sama! Viola VS Grant!**

**Chapter 35: Yuki VS Serena!? The Film of Bond!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Meowth: I need to tell all you lugs, that you're all in danger! They've got Jessie and James with them!

Serena: Who are you talking about? Is this another one of your tricks?

Madame X: So! This is the powerful Pikachu and Hawlucha that I've heard about. They would play well as my servants.

Yuki: What are you saying!? Who do you think you are!? The master of this world!? Give Hawlucha back!

Ash: There's no way I'm going to give up Pikachu that easily! I won't let you do this!

Clemont: We can track those two down with one of my inventions! This should lead us to where Madame X will be!


	31. Brainwash on Pikachu and Hawlucha?

**Chapter 31: Brainwash on Pikachu and Hawlucha!?**

"Some Thunderbolt... Electro Ball... Quick Attack... And don't forget Iron Tail..." James sneered. Team Rocket were in a dark cave where they were going over the next moves to capture Ash's Pikachu.

Yuki's Hawlucha was added to their list as they watched the next preview of Hawlucha's attacks. "Hm... That Focus Blast is interesting... With the Flying Press, Aerial Ace, and Karate Chop..." Jessie smirked.

"Of course, all those moves are first-rate! Without a doubt, that Pikachu needs to be ours... Including that Hawlucha, of course." James declared with a smirk. Jessie nodded, but gave a reminder to James.

"Yes, but we need to make our job much more easier. We need to separate Pikachu and Hawlucha from those pesky twerps of theirs." Jessie reminded evilly. Meowth ran over, turning off the preview video.

"Yeah... But those double partners are stuck together like glue! Prying them apart from each other is going to be tough..." Meowth explained. He held the electronic cube, just as an evil laugh rose out.

"Ah ha ha ha!" A woman's voice laughed. The evil trio turned to see a woman that was cloaked, and with her face shadowed. "I couldn't help but hear you... Those Pikachu and Hawlucha would be a very useful acquisition, indeed..." The woman sneered.

Out behind her, an evil looking Pokémon appeared, smirking evilly at Team Rocket. Jessie only glared at the woman, not happy to see her. "Eavesdropping is bad manners! Who are you!?" Jessie snapped.

The woman smirked, before answering. "They call me Madame X... And this is Malamar." Madame X sneered, showing her evil Pokémon. The Malamar sneered as his body glowed, shocking the evil trio in surprise.

**[Pokémon: XY Volt Opening (English Subbed)]**

(Pikachu was shown kissing the screen until he ran with Ash, Yuki, and Hawlucha)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying,**_

(A scene showed a route crossroad, with Meowstic and a group of Swirlix floating by)

_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark, **_

(A grassfield where Vivillon, and Swanna groups are flying at a nearby town)

(Underwater where Water Type were swimming underwater)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were seeing a town from a bridge view)

_**Ice, Normal, Fighting, Fire,**_

(A flower field shows; a group of macarons show; a rainy night shows)

_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy,**_

(The group runs along the route in the city)

_**Come on, from here on out it's an adventure and there's only light ahead**_

(Ash's blue background show him and Pikachu sharing sandwiches together)

_**The sky overflows with a rain of tears but we push through**_

(Serena's pink background show her picking a hat, while Fennekin happily runs around her)

_**Come on, use your courage to be better than you were yesterday**_

(Clemont's blue and yellow background show him inventing a machine before it explodes, while Bonnie runs with Dedenne and Chespin)

_**Treasure any encounter  
****  
Heart's pounding, Challenger!**_

(Yuki's green background shows him and Hawlucha sparring with each other, while Litleo, Heracross, and Bulbasaur cheers)

_**Someday, my dream will be fulfilled **_

(Ash, Yuki, Hawlucha, and Pikachu were running only to be blocked by a huge cliff)

(Silhouettes of Kalos Gym Leaders shine in front of the two)

_**That's what you have taught me, and that's why I travel**_

(Serena place a hand on Ash's left shoulder, Clemont places a hand on Yuki's right shoulder, Bonnie grabs the two's hands together)

(The group runs to the field on their journey)

_**As the red ring of bonds spreads far and wide**_

I'll definitely reach out to everyone with this energy I suddenly feel

(Ash and Yuki make attack calls; Pikachu and Hawlucha fights and defeat the trainers' Honedge and Pangoro)

_**This blue planet of ours is shining with hope**_

(Clemont calls for attacks; Chespin uses Pin Missile, and Bunnelby uses Dig)

(Bonnie cheers, as Dedenne uses Thundershock)

(Serena calls for an attack; Fennekin uses Ember)

(Yuki calls for attacks; Bulbasaur uses Razor Leaf, Litleo uses Ember, Heracross uses Megahorn, and Hawlucha uses Karate Chop)

_**The yellow flowers bloom**_

(Ash calls for attacks: Froakie uses Water Pulse, Fletchling uses Steel Wing, as Pikachu uses Electro Ball)

(A Mega Evolution sign appears; Mega Lucario roars, sending huge power)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying**_  
_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark**_  
_**Ice, Normal, Fire, Fighting**_  
_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy**_

(Xerneas and Yvetal appears; The Japanese opening title appears)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie smile at the viewers with their Pokémon)

**(Title opening ends)**

Meanwhile, out in the pathway near the woods, Yuki, Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were walking down the pathway to where the next town would be. They were of course headed to Cyllage City for Ash and Yuki's second Kalos Gym battle.

"Let's see... In order to get to the Pokémon Center, we have to pass through these forests..." Serena explained, looking at her electronic travel guide. Ash then stopped, looking up ahead.

"Huh? Oh wow... What's that over there?" Ash asked. "Pika?" Pikachu asked, looking ahead. Everyone else looked to see satellite dishes at a far field. Clemont smiled and made his answer.

"Oh, that? That's a radio observatory!" Clemont answered. "Radio observatory?" Yuki repeated in question. "Lucha Haw?" Hawlucha asked, folding his arms. The Gym Leader nodded and explained.

"Right! It's a facility that receives radio-waves from outer space! Then, it automatically analyzes those waves, utilizing the latest state of the art-high technology equipment!" Clemont explained.

The Kanto trainer turned back with a cheeky grin on his face. "I'm not sure of what you're talking about, but it kind of sounds cool!" Ash commented. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed, amazed with the explanation.

"Well, that's how it is, I guess..." Yuki shrugged, as Hawlucha did the same. "Hawlucha Haw..." Hawlucha agreed. Just then, there was rustle on the bushes going on, getting everyone's attention.

As they all turned, a familiar Pokémon came out of the bushes, groaning. It was a Meowth! And it was no ordinary Meowth as well. "Uh... Hey, you lugs... Help me...!" Meowth groaned, falling down.

It was Team Rocket's Meowth! And he didn't seem to look so good. He had scratches all over his face, with some of his fur a little ruffled up of some sort. Ash widened his eyes as he ran over.

"What... Hey, Meowth! What happened!?" Ash cried out. He held the Normal Type as Pikachu ran over to see his unconscious enemy. "Pika Pika?" Pikachu asked along. Yuki folded his arms, frowning.

"What is Meowth doing out here all alone? Was he attacked by something?" Yuki asked. Clemont frowned as he made his suggestion. "Whatever it is, Meowth's hurt! We need first-aid! Bonnie!" Clemont called.

"Okay..." Bonnie replied. She dug into Clemont's backpack, helping her older brother cure the enemy Pokémon. Once the Potion had done its work, Meowth slowly opened his eyes, groaning from his recovery.

Everyone looked at him in worry as Meowth blinked several times. "Mm... What's up?" Meowth groaned, sounding hallucinated. Yuki sweat dropped while Hawlucha smirked, believing it to be funny.

"Huh? Meowth, you're awake!" Serena exclaimed. At seeing the groups, the Pokémon let out a weak shriek, falling back. "AH! It's a ton of twerps!" Meowth exclaimed in shock. He tried to run, but fell back down.

"Hold it! You can't go running off when you're in that state of condition. You're going to have to rest up for a while." Yuki explained. "Hawlucha..." Hawlucha grunted with a nod, feeling suspicious of Meowth.

"Like Yuki said, take it easy, Meowth. Here... Drink this." Clemont replied. He handed a mug to Meowth, filled with water. At seeing the water, Meowth immediately took the mug, and drank the water all up.

"Guh... Yeah... That hit the spot... You lugs all saved my life... I owe you big time!" Meowth grunted weakly. Immediately, Bonnie frowned, already getting suspicious of the enemy Pokémon.

"Oh, really? If it's just me, I think that you're trying to trick us again!" Bonnie scoffed. "Pika?" "Dedenne?" Even Pikachu and Dedenne are suspicious of Meowth's current condition, causing him to panic.

"SEE!? Perished to thoughts! I'm on the level, no doubt! I came all this way in order to tell you guys that you're in danger!" Meowth explained, sounding panicky. That caught the group's attention.

"Danger? What are you talking about?" Clemont asked. "Yeah! I want to hear more!" "Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu replied. Yuki folded his arms and frowned. "Does this have to do with your previous wounds?" Yuki asked.

"Yeah... Well just thinking back on everything that happened gives me the creeps! It was like the worst nightmare that anybody could ever have..." Meowth started to explain. He recalled of what happened back at the cave.

**Flashback**

_The past went back to when Meowth was still with Jessie and James. They were all facing Malamar and Madame X as the evil Pokémon started to glow with a bright light, startling the evil trio._

_"From this point on, you will be my servants... And you will also obey my every commands!" Madame X demanded. The Hypnosis light seemed to almost hypnotize Jessie and James, until they shook it off._

_Jessie grew enraged with the woman as she glared at her. "Argh! I don't know who you think you are, but we don't take orders from pushy big mouths!" Jessie shrieked angrily. James and Meowth glared up in agreement._

_"There's only one boss of ours, and that's the one and only boss!" Meowth declared. Jessie and James then took out their Pokéballs, summoning their two Pokémon out to face Malamar and the evil woman._

_"Inkay... Psybeam!" "Pumpkaboo, use Shadow Ball!" James and Jessie called out. At the call, both Inkay and Pumpkaboo appeared, ready to battle. But then, that was when Malamar used Hypnosis on them!_

_A few moments later, both of the evil trio's Pokémon were hypnotized, mind controlled under Malamar's spell. "Inkay! You okay!?" James called. "Pumpkaboo! Attack those fools already!" Jessie shrieked._

_Madame X only shook her head, making her explanation. "Forget it. Those two won't attack my Malamar. And they won't attack me, Madame X, either!" Madame X assured. Malamar smirked evilly and made Hypnosis even stronger!_

_This time, it got to Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet! Meowth was nearly hypnotized until he had an idea. "This is bad! That whacko is going to take control of all of us!" Meowth thought. He took a deep breath, before making his attack._

_"Alright! YAH!" Meowth bellowed. He used his claws, using Fury Swipes all over his face. That caught the evil woman and her evil Pokémon by surprise as Meowth looked up, claw marks covering his face._

_"Inflicting pain upon yourself to maintain control over your own mind is quite clever! Grab it." Madame X ordered. At the order, Jessie, James, Inkay, Wobbuffet, and Pumpkaboo all turned to Meowth, moaning._

_"Yes, Madame..." Jessie and James mumbled. All of their eyes seemed dazed, and their expressions were not like themselves. Meowth seemed to see their mind controlled faces as he began to panic._

_"No! Fight it! Snap out of it! You've got to wake up, quick!" Meowth yelped. But, his voice didn't seem to reach them as the mind controlled Team Rocket, excluding Meowth started to trudge towards him._

_"Gah! I'm out of here! Hah... Hah..." Meowth snapped. He then began to run, escaping from Madame X and Malamar, along with his brainwashed friends. "After Meowth." Madame X ordered. "Yes, Madame." Jessie and James replied._

_They began to trudge towards the past escaping Meowth, as the Team Rocket member panicked, running faster than before._

**Flashback End**

"So I ran as fast as I could! I'd never thought that I'd get away from someone so creepy and kooky!" Meowth finished. By the time he was finished, Bonnie and Serena still didn't seem convinced with the Pokémon.

For Ash and Yuki, they could only think it over for what Meowth could be saying, while Hawlucha just glared, unsure of what to believe is the truth and what was a lie. At that, Meowth jumped up, making up his quick suggestion.

"Gah! We can't just be standing here yapping! Madame X is coming in to get in hooks with both Pikachu and Hawlucha next! You guys better scram quick!" Meowth warned. Bonnie pretended not to listen as she ignored the warning.

"Blah blah... I still think that you're trying to trick us so you could end up catching Pikachu and Hawlucha for yourselves!" Bonnie snapped, refusing to believe her enemy. Even Pikachu and Dedenne wasn't convinced with their enemy.

"Bonnie is right! But you won't fool us this time!" Serena assured with a glare. Meowth shook his head desperately as he tried to convince the group once again. "Mm!? No way! This is strictly on the level!" Meowth exclaimed.

His eyes grew sparkly, trying to convince the group even more. "Come on! Take a good look at these peepers and you'll see I was honest as the day is long!" Meowth exclaimed. Yuki narrowed his eyes, folding his arms in disbelief.

"Haw cha?" Hawlucha asked. The Hawlucha Boy shrugged, still unsure of what to say. "By the sound of it, it's desperate... And Malamar? That's a new Pokemon that we haven't heard of in any day..." Yuki stated.

Just then, two figures crept up to the group, groaning. "Uhh... Meowth... What are you doing here?" James groaned. His voice seemed weak and controlled as the group widened their eyes to see the remaining evil trio.

"You better hurry and capture both Pikachu and Hawlucha..." Jessie groaned along. Her voice sounces to be controlled as well. But for the group, they all prepared for a battle. "Team Rocket!?" "Pika!?" Ash and Pikachu snapped together.

Now Clemont seemed convinced that Meowth was still an enemy. "So! You are trying to trick us to catch Pikachu and Hawlucha after all!" Clemont snapped, causing the Normal Type to panic, as he shook his head.

"No, no! You've got it all wrong!" Meowth panicked. Yuki blinked, as he noticed the eyes of Jessie and James. "Hold on, guys. Look at their eyes... It seems like they're being... brainwashed of some sort!" Yuki pointed out.

As he said those words, Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet all groaned, trudging towards the startled group ad Ash made the call. "Let's move!" Ash called. Everyone agreed as they tried to escape.

But by then, they were blocked by two figures. It was Madame X and her Malamar! Meowth gasped in shock and pointed his evidence out. "That's it! And that's Madame X!" Meowth pointed out.

Serena held onto Bonnie as she frowned. "What kind of name is X!?" Serena shrieked. "Now's not the time to think what name suits best, Serena..." Yuki snapped. Ash took out his Pokédex, scanning Malamar.

"So that's Malamar! Let's see..." Ash called. _"__Malamar, the Overturning Pokémon, and the evolved form of Inkay. Possessing the strongest hypnotic powers of any Pokémon, Malamar can compel others to do anything it wants them to do."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

As the Pokédex was finished, the hooded Madame X let out an evil sneer, inspecting both Pikachu and Hawlucha. "So that's the famous Pikachu and Hawlucha... Two strong looking Pokémon, indeed..." Madame X commented.

Both the Kanto trainer and the Hawlucha Boy stepped back, glaring at the hooded woman. The evil woman quickly made her decision. "I think I'll make you two my servants right here and now... Malamar!" Madame X called.

The Overturning Pokémon rose into the air and began to glow! Everyone covered their eyes to prevent themselves from being hypnotized, just like with Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet.

"Get your eyes off of that light! It'll grab a bite of your brain!" Meowth warned. Yuki gritted his teeth as he tried to distract Malamar. "Ngh... Now annoying! Hawlucha! Stop Malamar with Focus Blast!" Yuki yelled.

"Pikachu! Stop them with Electro Ball!" Ash called. The two jumped together, as they launched their special attacks together, which both Madame X and Malamar dodged. But at the process, it created a smokescreen!

At that point, Meowth saw this chance to escape. "Now, let's scram when scramming is good!" Meowth called. At agreeing, the group ran with Meowth to escape only for Jessie and James to stop them.

"Leaving so soon? Pikachu and Hawlucha will both become members of our Pokémon Patrol." The brainwashed Jessie groaned. "Pokémon Patrol?" Ash repeated in confusion. The brainwashed James explained with their plans.

"Unstoppable... And take over the world, with our best beloved Madame X to rule it all!" The brainwashed James explained. The brainwashed Wobbuffet crept up behind Bonnie and Serena, making his agreement.

"Ah! Well, there is no way we're going to let you guys take over the world!" Bonnie shrieked. "Dedenne!" Dedenne cried out in agreement, which managed to stun the Patient Pokémon for a bit.

Meowth ran up, trying to stop his brainwashed comrades. "Using Pikachu and Hawlucha to take over the world is just wrong! You're just plain nuts!" Meowth snapped, while Yuki sweat dropped at that.

"Says the Pokémon who is an enemy to us..." Yuki grumbled. Hawlucha face palmed at that, with a shake of disappointment. Suddenly, Psychic landed on both Pikachu and Hawlucha! The two gasped as they were forced into the air!

They were forced to be with Madame X and Malamar as the group gasped. "Ah!? Pikachu!?" "No! Hawlucha!" Ash and Yuki cried out together. "Now they're using Malamar's Psychic!" Clemont pointed out.

At the same time Hawlucha and Pikachu were forced up, Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet floated into the air by the Psychic attack as well. By the time the task was done, they were all floating away for their escape.

"Farewell, fools! Ha ha ha ha!" Madame X laughed evilly. "PIKA PI! "HAW LU LUCHA!" Pikachu and Hawlucha cried out together. "HEY! Stop, you witch! STOP!" Yuki bellowed as he tried to run after the evil woman.

"STOP! Pikachu!" Ash yelled. But by the time they tried to give chase, it proved to be useless, as the floating ones were already out of sight. "Nuts... Curse you... Madame X!" Yuki snapped, slamming his fists to the ground.

"We've got to do something!" Serena stated. "I know! But how will we know that they're taking Pikachu and Hawlucha?" Bonnie asked. The Lumiose Gym Leader made his guess, turning to the others.

"I'm sure Madame X has to have a hideout somewhere!" Clemont assured. He then adjusted his glasses, making them flash by the sunlight. "Hm hm hm hm! The future is now, thanks to science! Clemontic Gear, on!" Clemont called.

He revealed a machine that looked a lot like Pikachu, but with a satellite dish of some sort. "I thought we would encounter on a situation, precisely like this one!" Clemont explained. That left the girls into shock.

"YOU DID!?" Serena and Bonnie asked in shock. As for the Kanto trainer, his expression turned from anger into a very impressed expression. "Awesome! It's a Pika-bot!" Ash exclaimed in amazement. Yuki scoffed, turning away.

"And how is a machine like that going to help us, genius?" Yuki asked rudely. "Well, to be precise, I call it my Automatic Pikachu Retrieval Device!" Clemont explained, much to more of Ash's amazement.

"So cool!" Ash commented. Serena wasn't sure while Bonnie wasn't impressed. "Pikachu Retrieval Device?" Serena repeated. "You get no points for the good names." Bonnie grunted in assurance.

The Gym Leader pressed on the button of the bot's nose, beginning his demonstration. "Observe. This device can track Pikachu's unique energy and track it far to the farthest land, the ocean, or the sky!" Clemont explained.

"That's great! Now we'll find Pikachu for sure!" Ash assured. That left Yuki watching as he frowned. Clemont on the other hand, felt excited for the incoming success of his Pikachu retrieval machine.

"It's incredibly inspiring that the steady progress of science can never be stopped!... Hm?" Clemont exclaimed. By the time he stopped his bragging, the robot began to make noises, reacting to something.

"It's picking up a signal! Onward! Go, Automatic Pikachu Retrieval Device! Begin retrieval! Let's go!" Clemont called. At the order, the Pikachu robot moved ahead, tracking down the missing Electric Type Pokémon.

Ash and Clemont began running after it, as Yuki sighed, being forced to follow along. _"I just hope this invention can also tell me of where Hawlucha might be in... But... Madame X... Just who is she?" _Yuki thought.

As the group ran after the Pikachu Retrieval Device, along with Meowth, Clemont was lagging behind, despite the excitement he had for his Pikachu retrieval invention. But, as the robot got to the clearing, it bumped into a metal fence!

It knocked Ash down in his startle, while Bonnie and Serena gasped along. Yuki only glared at the stopped machine. At the same time, Clemont came by panting. "Everybody! What's going on... Ah!?" Clemont started, the gasped.

The robot was sparkling in malfunction as Serena gulped, taking a step back. "I think it's stuck..." Serena commented. "I think it's more than stuck... It's about to blow!" Yuki yelled in surprise.

As he said so, the Pikachu robot glowed, before a huge explosion occurred. Everyone screamed as they were involved in the explosion of the beaten up Pikachu machine. Everyone had bushy hair, while coughing out smoke from their faces.

"Whoops... Looks like another failure..." Serena pointed out. "Failure is the mother word for Success... I wish I've been able to say that..." Clemont groaned as he fell to the ground. Ash coughed out smoke as Yuki groaned.

"I should've known this would happen..." Yuki grumbled before he fainted from the explosion blow as well.

Later, as everyone was recovering, they looked to see what they saw before, which was the radio observatory station. Clemont was trying to fix up his Pikachu machine as Bonnie noticed something.

"This is the radio observatory we all saw from before!" Serena pointed out. "Hey! Isn't that Officer Jenny's motorcycle up ahead?" Bonnie asked. Yuki, Ash, and Serena looked to see that it was true.

"You're right! I just wonder what she's doing here..." Ash agreed. "Could she have been middle an investigation of some sort and have gone missing?" Yuki guessed, folding his arms in deep thought.

"You know, if that Pika-not of yours was on the right track... I'd suspect that this joint might be Madame X's hideout!" Meowth guessed. The guess left the group thinking as well, with Clemont agreeing with the possibility.

"It could be! Officer Jenny could've gotten a report from there and probably went off to investigate! I'd say that the probability is quite high!" Clemont claimed, looking back at the observatory.

So, using the hole that he Pika-bot made, the group all attempted to sneak into the building. "Okay... Let's go in!" Ash called. "Hawlucha... Stay strong in there..." Yuki quietly encouraged. With that, the group were in the radio observatory.

What they all didn't know was that they were already spotted the moment they were in.

**Meanwhile...**

Malamar let out a cry, unleashing his hypnotic powers on both Pikachu and Hawlucha. The two grunted together, trying to resist the Hypnosis, but it proved to be futile as their eyes became blank as a puppet's eyes.

"Ha! Now you two belong to me! Come, Pikachu! Hawlucha!" Madame X called. At the order, the two starters ran up to Madame X, as Hawlucha knelt down, looking like he's bowing down to the evil woman.

As for Pikachu, he sat on Madame X's lap, as the evil woman let out an evil chuckle. "Ah... Good... I just know that you two will work very hard for me..." Madame X chuckled evilly.

"Pika..." "Lucha..." The brainwashed Pikachu and Hawlucha groaned out in agreement,

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Tackle, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 32: Ash VS Pikachu!? Yuki VS Hawlucha!?**

**Chapter 33: The Rivalry At the Chateau!**

**Chapter 34: Yuki VS Sama! Viola VS Grant!**

**Chapter 35: Yuki VS Serena!? The Film of Bond!**

**Chapter 36: The Bond to Memory and Love!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Come on, Pikachu! You have to snap out of it! You're not one of Madame X's servants! You're my best buddy around here!

Yuki: Malamar... Madame X... You two... are completely unforgivable! Hawlucha! Break free from their control! You're stronger than them! I know that!

Madame X: It's no use, foolish boys. Both Pikachu and Hawlucha are under my control! And now, with Malamar at my side, I will control the universe!

Meowth: That's nonsense! Come on! Jessie! James! Snap out of it, you lugs... AH!? There's more of Madame X's Pokémon servants!

Brainwashed Serena: Just give it up, you two... You can never win. Our master, Madame X will take over our world and use it for her own good with Malamar.

Yuki: You guys... are so pathetic! To be controlled by that evil woman... That's something I can never forgive, you witch! Let them go, now!


	32. Ash VS Pikachu? Yuki VS Hawlucha?

**Chapter 32: Ash VS Pikachu!? Yuki VS Hawlucha!?**

Last time on "Pokémon Kalos Journey", on their way to Cyllage City, the group found Meowth, who seemed to be weak and injured by something. As Meowth recovered, the Team Rocket member recalled of what happened before.

He explains that Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet were all brainwashed by an evil woman named Madame X, which Serena and Bonnie took it as another trick to capture Pikachu and Hawlucha. But then, the mind controlled Jessie and James arrived, confronting the group.

Madame X also appears with Malamar, as the two capture Pikachu and Hawlucha, planning to use them for her own biddings. Ash and Yuki tries to chase after the two, until Clemont brings up a Pikachu search machine that could help them track down the evil woman.

The machine backfires although, and explodes. However, after some careful thoughts, Meowth points out that the Pikachu bot could've led them to the hideout of Madame X where Pikachu and Hawlucha might be.

Meanwhile, Madame X had already hypnotized Pikachu and Hawlucha, making them her brainwashed servants. How will the group get to their Pokémon friends now? And who is this Madame X?

"Ah... Good... I just know that you two will work very hard for me..." Madame X chuckled evilly. "Pika..." "Lucha..." The brainwashed Pikachu and Hawlucha groaned out in agreement. Just then, Jessie called to her master.

"Madame X, we have intruders." Jessie moaned. Everyone turned to the security camera that the evil woman set up. At the screen, Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were going in with Meowth as the woman scoffed.

"So, they found my hideout... Those fools! They're going to pay for this." Madame X hissed. James then made a suggestion to the master. "They have the Pokémon, Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie, and Heracross with them." James stated.

He turned to the evil woman with his suggestion. "Perhaps you would like to take them as servants, too..." James groaned out. Madame X let out a sneer, turning to her mind controlled minions.

"Yes... Yes, I would. They should all prove to be quite useful!" Madame X sneered. She turned to Malamar, who smirked, knowing what to do.

**Meanwhile...**

Back to the group, the trainers, Bonnie, and Meowth all looked around to see if they could find Madame X, along with Pikachu and Hawlucha. They walked up to two different hallway paths. Yuki frowned as Ash made his suggestion.

"We should split up right here." Ash called. "Right! Bonnie, come with me!" Clemont called. So, the two siblings walked on the hallway to the left, as Yuki pointed to the other hallway. "I guess we have to go through here, then." Yuki pointed out.

Ash, Serena, and Meowth nodded as they all headed to the hallway to the right. For Clemont and Bonnie, the Gym Leader began to think over what the situation they might be in. He reviewed the clues they had for now.

"Officer Jenny... Since we saw her motorcycle parked outside, she's got to be in here!" Clemont stated. Bonnie could only watch her older brother as she frowned. "Yeah, but where is she? I wonder if Madame X got ahold of her..." Bonnie guessed.

"Dede! Dedenne!" Dedenne cried. Clemont and Bonnie both blinked as they saw the little Electric Type pointing straight ahead. The two siblings turned to the front, seeing a familiar evil Pokémon!

"Ah!? Malamar!" Clemont snapped. He clenched his fists as Bonnie took a step back, glaring at the evil Pokémon. "Malamar, it's you!?" Bonnie shrieked. "So, this is Madame X's hideout, isn't it!?" Clemont snapped.

Suddenly, before the two siblings could turn back, Malamar began to glow, using Hypnosis! Both Clemont and Bonnie gasped, until it was too late for them to evade the Hypnosis light. Even Dedenne fell victim into it!

By the time the light faded, the siblings were mind controlled puppets now.

For Ash, Serena, and Yuki, they all headed to the space exhibition room, where the room seemed to be deserted. "Not in here..." Ash pointed out. "That witch... If I see her again, I'll be sure to eliminate her as soon as I can!" Yuki threatened.

He gritted his teeth angrily, clenching his fist. "Yuki, calm down!" Serena called. "How can I stay calm, when our partners are in danger!? I can't accept that, and I never will! What if it was Fennekin that was trapped, Serena!?" Yuki snapped.

That caused Serena to flinch in surprise as she was left speechless. "I... I..." Serena stuttered, as both Ash and Meowth turned back to see the drama going on. "Save the drama for later, twerps!" Meowth snapped.

"Yeah! We have to find Madame X, Pikachu, and Hawlucha!" Ash pointed out. Serena sighed, before she frowned sadly. "R-Right... I wonder if Clemont found any sightings of them..." Serena hoped.

But then, to their surprise, she was proven to be wrong. "Negative... I haven't found the trace of them..." Clemont groaned. "Ash... Yuki... Serena... Let's all keep looking together..." Bonnie moaned. "Dedenne..." Dedenne groaned along.

Yuki and Ash blinked, while Serena shrieked a little. Meowth widened his eyes as he knew what the voice of tones meant. "C-Clemont!? Bonnie!?" Ash called. "Kinda! Except now, they're being controlled, too!" Meowth pointed out.

"HEY! Wake up, you two! You're being brainwashed, don't you see!?" Yuki snapped. "Why should we care about that?" Bonnie groaned. She and her mind controlled older brother teetered towards the four as Serena, Yuki, and Ash backed off.

Suddenly, a figure floated behind them, as Yuki, Ash, Serena, and Meowth all turned to see who it was. It was Malamar! It immediately began to use Hypnosis as its body glowed, trying to brainwash the others.

"Gah! Don't look at the lights!" Meowth warned. "Cripes! This isn't good!" Yuki pointed out. Ash covered his eyes as he turned to the other way. "Come on! Let's run!" Ash called. But then, as they all turned, Clemont and Bonnie were close to them!

They teetered towards the three as Yuki gritted his teeth. "You morons! How could you let an evil Pokémon brainwash you like this!? Get ahold of yourself!" Yuki snapped. He punched Clemont on the cheek, knocking him away.

"Yuki!? What are you doing!?" Serena called. The Hawlucha Boy turned to Serena with a glare. "Meowth used Fury Swipes to gain control of his mind, right!? So I'd thought it'd worked on Clemont if I punched him!" Yuki answered.

But to his surprise, it didn't work as Clemont groaned once again. "That won't work on me, Yuki..." Clemont groaned. "No... way..." Yuki muttered in disbelief as Serena backed away from the brainwashed Bonnie.

"Oh no... What are we going to do now?" Serena asked. The Kanto trainer blinked, as he got an idea. "I know! Use Fury Swipes on me, fast!" Ash called. Meowth was already on it as he unsheathed his claws.

"Got it! HAH! YAH! Now, ME!" Meowth yelled. He slashed Ash's face with Fury Swipes, while doing it to himself as well. As a result, it seemed to be quite painful for the two. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" Ash yelped, trying to resist the pain.

"Man! Does that hurt! And I'm afraid the two of you mugs are up next!" Meowth warned, turning to Yuki and Serena. The Vaniville girl immediately refused as she backed away from Meowth.

"No! No! I don't want my face to be all scratched up like that!" Serena shrieked. But by then, Malamar began to use Hypnosis on both Yuki and Serena! "Argh! No choice! Hurry, Meowth!" Yuki called. "Right! Fury Swipes!" Meowth yelled.

He slashed Yuki's face with his claws, much to his cringing. "Ngh! That does hurt a little..." Yuki admitted as he resisted the pain. But for Serena, it was too late for her as she became another one of Malamar's puppets.

"No! Serena!" Ash gasped. "It's too late! We've got to scram out of here quick!" Meowth yelled. "You don't have to tell us twice! But how do we do that!?" Yuki grunted as he looked around.

Just then, the Kanto trainer looked up, seeing a planet hooked up onto the ceiling. "I've got it! Meowth, could you cut that thing loose!?" Ash called. He barely evaded the brainwashed Serena as Yuki tried to back away from Clemont and Bonnie.

"No problem! YAH!" Meowth yelled. He slashed the ropes connecting to the planet, allowing it to fall on Malamar. However, the evil Pokémon managed to see it coming, as it prevented its destruction with Psychic.

But, while it was doing that, the two boys took their chances to escape. "Great job, Meowth!" Ash cried. "Hurry!" Yuki called. With the distraction done, the three managed to escape, leaving Malamar to glare at their escaping.

At the hallway, the two boys and Meowth were running for it, as Meowth made his guess. "Dig it! Maybe now we'll be able to get the chance to stop all of Madame X's plans to take over the world and our buddies at the same time!" Meowth panted.

"Gotcha!" "Alright." Ash and Yuki agreed. By the time their agreements were done, the three ran into another room, which seemed to be a lot bigger than the other rooms. "Hey... Where are we?" Ash asked.

Yuki narrowed his eyes, looking around. "This is... Is this the monitory room?" Yuki guessed. The three stepped down to look around more. But then, the lights shone, getting their attention. At the top of multiple junks, was Madame X!

Pikachu and Hawlucha were at her side, with Pikachu on her lap, while Hawlucha was at her left. "You thought correctly... Hm hm hm!" Madame X cackled. Besides her, was Jessie, James, Wobbuffet, Inkay, and Pumpkaboo!

But to the boys' attention, they spotted their partners at Madame X's side. "Pikachu!" "Hawlucha!?" Ash and Yuki called. Madame X only sneered as she ordered Pikachu to attack. "Show them your power, Pikachu!" Madame X called.

Pikachu obeyed and jumped down to the bottom, facing Ash, Yuki, and Meowth. In his hypnotized state, the Electric Type shot a Thunderbolt, zapping Ash! "AHH!" Ash screamed as he was knocked away by the Thunderbolt.

"Ash!? Hey! You okay!?" Yuki called. He helped the Kanto trainer up as Meowth panicked. "Y-Yeah... I'm fine... But why would Pikachu attack me like that!?" Ash grunted as he got up. Meowth turned, looking at the Electric Type.

"Hey... Check out the eyes! Pikachu's been hypnotized by Malamar! Hawlucha, too!" Meowth pointed out. "Pika..." "Haw..." The mind controlled Pokémon grunted in response. Ash widened his eyes as he glared at the evil woman.

"No way!" Ash snapped in disbelief. "No way... Hawlucha, don't tell me you actually fell for her trap!?" Yuki cried out in disbelief. Madame X laughed as she made her statement. "Pikachu and Hawlucha have become my faithful and obedient servants!" Madame X declared.

Yuki glared at the woman, with disgust and anger. "Shut up! You're the one who forced them to become this way!" Yuki bellowed. The evil woman laughed a bit, before she ordered Hawlucha to remain at her side.

"Pikachu... Stop them right now!" Madame X called. Pikachu groaned as he shot forward, charging with Quick Attack! "P-Pikachu!?" Ash yelled. But to everyone's surprise, the Quick Attack was blocked, by Yuki's hands!

"Argh! Snap out of it, will you!?" Yuki snapped. He shoved the brainwashed Electric Type away, causing him to skid on the ground. "Yuki..." Ash whispered. Madame X scoffed in disbelief. "How annoying... Hawlucha, eliminate the boy!" Madame X called.

"Lucha..." Hawlucha groaned. He flew down, preparing a Flying Press attack. "Yuki! Look out!" "Watch out, twerp!" Ash and Meowth yelled. Yuki took a side step, rolling out of the way, causing the Flying Press to miss. Hawlucha immediately recovered and prepared a Karate Chop attack!

"Tch! Hawlucha! Stop this right now!" Yuki pleaded. He blocked the Karate Chop with his left arm, but it made him flinch, since the impact was a bit stronger than he had expected. "Gah..." Yuki grunted. "Lucha..." Hawlucha groaned.

"Yuki!" Ash called. "Magnificent! Continue your work, you two." Madame X called. Obeying, both Pikachu and Hawlucha charged in, aiming Karate Chop and Iron Tail towards their trainers! "Stop this, Pikachu! Stop!" Ash yelled.

He managed to dodge the first Iron Tail, but got hit with the second! Yuki blocked the first Karate Chop, but took the second on the stomach! Both boys yelled in pain as they tumbled on the ground together. Meowth panicked even more at this.

"Pikachu and Hawlucha can't hear a word that you say! Madame X is taking over their noggins!" Meowth exclaimed. Both boys were besides each other as Ash panted, getting up. Yuki took a deep breath, before standing up.

"I don't believe it... Pikachu's still my number one partner! And my friend! I know you can still hear me!" Ash assured. But then, the door opened, revealing the brainwashed Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie coming out with Malamar at their side.

"Give it up... Ash... Yuki..." Serena groaned. Ash, Yuki, and Meowth all turned to their brainwashed friends as Malamar was right behind them. "No matter how hard the two of you fight together, you cannot resist Madame X..." Bonnie groaned.

"The world now belongs to Madame X, with Pikachu, Hawlucha, and the Pokémon Patrol..." Clemont pointed out. Suddenly, the giant doors behind Ash, Yuki, and Meowth opened, showing five evolved Pokémon!

Pangoro, Beedrill, Noivern, Exploud, and Scolipede were with each other as the two boys and Meowth gasped. "I don't believe this..." Yuki muttered in shock. Madame X could only laugh evilly in triumph. "Ha ha ha ha! Pikachu! Hawlucha! Finish this!" Madame X called.

Suddenly, both starters leapt up in the air! Pikachu launched an Electro Ball, while Hawlucha launched a Focus Blast attack! The two moves combined forces together, all aiming towards Ash, Yuki, and Meowth! "Look out!" Ash yelled.

Yuki's face darkened as he took out a Pokéball, quickly summoning out his Pokémon. "Heracross, Megahorn!" Yuki yelled. The Bug-Fighting Type Pokémon appeared negating the Focus Blast and Electro Ball combination. "What!?" Madame X snapped.

Malamar gritted his teeth as Ash and Meowth turned to Yuki in shock. "Y-Yuki!?" Ash gasped. "What are you doing, twerp!?" Meowth snapped. Yuki remained focused as he gave orders to Heracross sternly.

"Heracross... Don't hesitate to attack... Defeating both Pikachu and Hawlucha might be the best way to bring them back to their senses." Yuki declared. Ash widened his eyes as Madame X was in shock.

Heracross grew hesitant, but nodded. "Alright! Use Brick Break!" Yuki called. Heracross flew into the air and aimed the Brick Break at both Pikachu and Hawlucha, which they both managed to dodge. Madame X gritted her teeth at this sight.

"Unthinkable! Do you not care for what will happen to your Pokémon!? Or have you decided them as your enemies!?" Madame X snapped. Ash was most bewildered into this situation. "What... Hey, Yuki! What are you doing!?" Ash snapped angrily.

"Even if we tried to plead them to come back, they would only resist against us. It's better to battle and bring them back to their senses." Yuki explained. "What!?" Ash snapped in shock. Even the mind controlled slaves were shocked.

"Yuki Muramoto! Are you serious to attack your partners!?" The mind controlled Clemont snapped. That, Ash didn't want to happen. So, he ran over to Yuki, trying to restrain the Hawlucha Boy. "Yuki! Stop it! Pikachu and Hawlucha are our friends! Don't you get it!?" Ash snapped.

To his answer, Yuki elbowed Ash on the stomach hard, and punched him to the ground. "Gah... AGH!" Ash yelled as he fell to the ground. "Huh!? Twerp!?" Meowth gasped as he looked between the two boys, confused of what to do.

"I know they're our friends, Ash... That's why I'm knocking some sense into them... You would never understand since you have a soft heart." Yuki muttered sternly. Again, Heracross turned, hesitant to attack his two friends.

"Do it, Heracross. Like I said, don't hesitate to attack. Megahorn!" Yuki called. Heracross blinked, before he flew over, slamming Hawlucha away with the powerful Bug Type attack. Malamar gritted his teeth, seeing that the enemies were resisting.

"Tch... How annoying... You brat!" Madame X snapped. She turned to Malamar, who floated in the air, ready to attack. But suddenly, Razor Wind attacks were thrown, exploding near both Yuki and Heracross! That left everyone in surprise as the Hawlucha Boy turned, unfazed.

Ash had sent out Fletchling to battle, as the Flying Type glared at the boy and his Bug-Fighting Type. "I won't let you do this, Yuki! Pikachu is my best friend! As long as Pikachu is with us, I won't let you hurt him or your partner!" Ash declared.

"Fletch! Fletch!" Fletchling chirped in agreement. Heracross glared back, not liking the tension as Yuki narrowed his eyes in amusement. "Yuki... My Pokémon and I will stop you... even if it's by force!" Ash exclaimed in determination.

That left Madame X and Malamar amused as the mind controlled ones watched. "Brace yourself for a hard blow then, Ash." Yuki warned. Everyone could watch as Meowth panicked evne more. "Come on, you two! Stop this!" Meowth cried.

But it was futile as the battle was about to begin. "Well, well... This should be interesting. Stand down for now, Pikachu. Hawlucha." Madame X called. Again, the two obeyed as they stood in front of the tower of junk that their master was on.

**Yuki: Heracross + 2 VS Ash: Fletchling + 1**

"Alright! Fletchling! Use Razor Wind!" Ash yelled. Fletchling flew into the air and launched more Razor Wind attacks as Yuki countered them. "Dodge them, Heracross!" Yuki called. In time, the Bug-Fighting Type dodged all of the attacks.

The Kanto trainer wasn't going to let this go, though. "Quick! Use Steel Wing!" Ash called. Fletchling chirped loudly as he flew to strike with the Steel Type attack, aiming it towards Heracross. "Block them with Brick Break!" Yuki shouted.

As the orders were called, Steel Wing and Karate Chop clashed together, as both battlers fought hard. "Keep going with Steel Wing, Fletchling!" "Counter them all with Brick Break, Heracross!" Ash and Yuki cried together.

Once again, the two attacks clashed together until Ash called another move. "Now, Fletchling! Use Gust!" Ash yelled. The Tiny Robin Pokémon flew into the air and blew a strong wind of gust towards Heracross, who tried to resist the attack.

"Now! Use the wind and use Peck!" Ash called. Fletchling let out a battle cry and aimed his Flying Type move towards Heracross. "Use Protect to block!" Yuki called. A barrier formed around Heracross, defending himself with Protect.

"Steel Wing!" "Brick Break!" The two boys shouted together. Steel Wing made contact first, knocking Heracross with the Steel Type move. As for Brick Break, it made a direct hit, causing major damage for the Tiny Robin Pokémon.

Both Pokémon skidded back to their trainers as Ash tried to encourage his Flying Type. "Come on, Fletchling! Use Peck again!" Ash cried. "Megahorn, Heracross!" Yuki shouted back. Once again, the two moves met, creating a small explosion.

Both Fletchling and Heracross skidded back to their trainers as both of them were bruised and heavily injured. "Ah! Fletchling, no!" "Heracross!?" Ash and Yuki gasped, together seeing that their first Pokémon were knocked out together.

**Ash: 1 Pokémon**

**Yuki: 2 Pokémon**

"So the first round is a draw, huh? That's fine with me! Ah ha ha ha ha!" Madame X laughed. But unknown to her, Pikachu and Hawlucha were weakly showing their resistance to the Hypnosis effect from Malamar's power.

"Froakie! I choose you!" "Litleo, you're up next!" Ash and Yuki cried. Ash's Froakie and Yuki's Litleo appeared, both glaring at each other. "Now, Froakie! Use Pound!" Ash cried. Froakie hopped forward, preparing to use Pound.

"And counter that with Take Down, Litleo!" Yuki cried. Litleo roared and charged forward with the powerful physical attack. The Take Down met up with the Pound attack, until the Fire Type overpowered her Water Type opponent.

"Froakie, stay strong! And use Water Pulse!" Ash cried. Froakie was sent flying by Take Down, as he shot two Water Pulse attack towards Litleo, much to her shock and surprise. The two attacks made contact, knocking Litleo away.

"What!?" Yuki snapped in shock. The results were relevant as Litleo fell to the ground, unconscious by the direct attacks. Ash glanced at Pikachu, who seemed to be struggling a bit more to get out of the Hypnosis power.

_"Pikachu... Just hang in there!"_ Ash thought desperately.

**Yuki: 1 Pokémon**

The Hawlucha Boy returned Litleo as he sent out his third Pokémon. "Bulbasaur! You're up next!" Yuki cried. The Kanto starter appeared, facing off against Froakie. "Quick, Froakie! Use Pound, again!" Ash cried.

Froakie leapt forward, hitting Bulbasaur with Pound! "He's up close! Use Vine Whip to counter!" Yuki called. At a close range, Bulbasaur glared back, and tripped Froakie hard with Vine Whip, startling the Bubble Frog Pokémon as he tripped.

"Vine Whip again!" Yuki cried. "Quick, dodge it!" Ash called. Another Vine Whip came, which Froakie managed to dodge this time. "Now, use Tackle!" Yuki called. "Counter with Pound, Froakie!" Ash shouted back.

Bulbasaur charged towards Froakie, as Froakie hit the Seed Pokémon with another Pound attack as Bulbasaur resisted with Tackle. "Now, use Bubble!" Ash cried. Escaping from the push from Tackle, Froakie blasted Bulbasaur away with a Bubble attack!

Bulbasaur skidded back as Yuki gritted his teeth. "You're in the way, Ash! Razor Leaf, let's go!" Yuki yelled. Bulbasaur grunted in determination before she shot Razor Leaf at Froakie, who took multiple hits from the super effective attack.

"Ah! Froakie, strike back with Pound!" Ash cried. Froakie gritted his teeth and slammed Bulbasaur away with another Pound attack, causing the female Grass Type to yelp in pain. During the battle, Pikachu began to sweat, showing weakness to the Hypnosis.

For Hawlucha, he gritted his teeth, yelling in pain. Ash, Yuki, Meowth, Madame X, and Malamar all turned to see Pikachu and Hawlucha trying to resist Malamar. "Pikachu!?" "Hawlucha...!?" Ash and Yuki cried in surprise.

Ash bit his lips, knowing that he had to win in order to save Pikachu. "Now, Froakie! Use Water Pulse, let's go!" Ash cried. Froakie leapt in the air, preparing to launch the powerful Water Type attack. Yuki narrowed his eyes at that.

"Stop Froakie with Razor Leaf!" Yuki shouted. Bulbasaur looked up, and launched another Razor Leaf attack, striking Froakie directly before Water Pulse could be completed! The Bubble Frog Pokémon croaked in pain as he was slammed to the ground.

"Ah! Froakie, no!" Ash gasped. As the battle continued on, both Pokémon were extremely weak, as one attack could finish the two of them off! Ash and Yuki glared at each other, seeing that this will be their last attack in the battle.

"Let's go, Froakie! One more time! Use Water Pulse!" Ash cried. "Bulbasaur, another Razor Leaf, let's go!" Yuki called. Both attacks were launched and missed each other, much to the boys' surprise. The Razor Leaf had hit Froakie, causing him to croak in pain.

The Water Pulse made a direct hit on Bulbasaur, knocking her out. "Froakie, no!" "No, Bulbasaur!" Ash and Yuki gasped. Suddenly, the Razor Leaf attacks that missed Froakie were headed straight for Ash, while the remaining power of Water Pulse was headed straight for Yuki!

The two moves exploded onto the two boys, as they both yelled in pain. "AHH!" "ARGH!" The two boys yelped in pain. "Ha ha ha! What fools!" Madame X laughed. "No! Come on, twerps! Pull yourselves together!" Meowth yelled desperately.

**Results: Draw**

But, it was too late as Ash and Yuki groaned, both falling face first to the ground, looking unconscious. Madame X sneered and laughed in triumph. "HA HA HA! Fools! You two never had a chance to win in the first place! How pathetic..." Madame X cackled.

Malamar laughed along, as Meowth panicked. "Oh no! This is bad! Twerps! Are you two alright!?" Meowth called desperately. Suddenly, at seeing their best friends fall, the Hypnosis started to become even weaker! Pikachu and Hawlucha grunted in pain as they resisted the Hypnosis.

"What!?" Madame X snapped in shock. Suddenly, as if it was a miracle, both Ash and Yuki struggled to stand up, much to both Malamar and Madame X's surprise. "Impossible! You two can still stand!?" Madame X snapped in bewilderment.

"Y-Yeah... That's right!" Yuki grunted with a smirk. "As long as our friends needs saving, we'll stand up, no matter what!" Ash exclaimed. Soon, the two boys were back onto their feet as they thanked Bulbasaur and Froakie, returning them to their Pokéballs.

"No... This can't be! You tricked me!?" Madame X snapped. Yuki smirked, as he dusted his clothes off. "That's right. Those attacks were blocked, thanks to these." Yuki explained. Out of his jacket, he took out a now, broken tree charm, the charm he kept when he lived with Hawlucha.

"Yep! I've got the same, too!" Ash exclaimed. He took out the now, broken charm, since it was damaged by the Razor Leaf. "We thought it might've been difficult reaching Pikachu and Hawlucha with words, so we decided to show on how much we care about them." Yuki explained.

**Flashback**

_While Yuki, Ash, and Meowth were running, they had stopped to take a break from their escape from Malamar, Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie. "I think we lost them..." Ash panted. "Yeah... I guess so..." Yuki panted, as he wiped the sweat from his forehead._

_Meowth slumped down on the ground as Yuki blinked, having an idea. "Ash... If we do confront Madame X, and if Pikachu and Hawlucha are brainwashed... I have a plan to counter that." Yuki explained. "Really? You do?" Ash asked._

_The Hawlucha Boy nodded, then frowned. "Yeah... But, it's risky... We're going to have to pretend that we have different opinions, making us fake enemies. We have to fight against each other then, to prove it." Yuki explained._

_"What? But, what for?" Ash asked. "If Madame X and Malamar sees us fighting each other, then they'll be distracted enough while Pikachu and Hawlucha tries to resist Malamar's Hypnosis attack. When they see how much we care about them in battle, they might be able to break free." Yuki explained._

_Ash widened his eyes, then grinned. "Alright... Let's do it! If it's to save our Pokémon, then I'll be willing to do anything for it!" Ash declared. Yuki smiled and nodded back. "Alright then. Let's get this plan going." Yuki replied. "Right!" Ash agreed._

**End Flashback**

"Impossible... So after all that talk, that battle was all a fake! You two purposely made a draw, in order to break your starters free!? What a futile! You can see that your plan didn't work!" Madame X snapped. She turned to her two servants and made her attack call.

"Argh! Pikachu! Hawlucha! Stop those two brats right now!" Madame X demanded. But to her surprise, both Pikachu and Hawlucha were starting to resist her commands as they held their heads in pain. "Pikachu!?" "Hawlucha, stay strong!" The two boys called.

Suddenly, there was a mechanical call, as everyone turned to see what it was. It was the Pikachu bot that Clemont built! It was out of control, and it jumped towards the center, right for Pikachu and Hawlucha! Both boys dove towards their partners, getting them out of the way.

"Look out!" "Hit the deck!" Ash and Yuki cried. They managed to save Pikachu and Hawlucha as the out of control machine was headed straight for Malamar. The evil Psychic-Dark Type yelled as the machine exploded on it, causing its Hypnosis power to lose effect.

"Argh... AHHH!" Madame X grunted, then screamed. She fell backwards, falling down onto the ground. As the Hypnosis wore off, everyone was returning back to normal! Team Rocket, the five evolved Pokémon, and Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie.

Everyone blinked as they all looked around in confusion. For Pikachu and Hawlucha, they blinked several times before looking at their trainers. "Pika Pi? Pika?" Pikachu asked, turning to his Kanto trainer. "P-Pikachu?" Ash asked.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed. At seeing his partner back to normal, Ash let out a happy cheer. "YEAH! Yes! Yes!" Ash cheered. Pikachu cheered along as the two hugged each other in rejoice. Yuki blinked as he made eye contact with Hawlucha.

"Hawlucha... Can you hear me now?" Yuki asked. Hawlucha grinned and nodded. "Lucha! Hawlucha!" Hawlucha cried out with a nod. Yuki sighed in relief, before he laughed out loud with a grin. "Ha ha ha! Hawlucha! I'm so glad that you're okay!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Lucha! Hawlucha!" Hawlucha exclaimed happily. The two martial artists hugged each other, nuzzling each other's faces. The double reunion was done as both boys were overjoyed to have their Pokémon friends back into their hands.

As for the others, they were confused. Even Team Rocket seemed confused of where they were. "Why are we here?" Jessie asked, groaning. "Most likely to figure out where we are..." James answered, as he was confused, too.

"Wobbuffet..." Wobbuffet agreed. Meowth ran over to his comrades with a big smirk on his face. "HEY! You're you guys again! Big improvement!" Meowth exclaimed in relief. Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all groaned, shaking their heads.

"Uh... So who can tell me what Serena is doing here?" Clemont asked. "Uh ha ha... I guess, Malamar was controlling me as well..." Serena answered. Bonnie blinked, before turning to the weakened Madame X. "Look! There's Madame X!" Bonnie pointed out.

Everyone turned to see the evil woman no longer evil. Her cloak fell over, revealing her true face. Everyone widened their eyes in shock as Ash and Yuki cried out her name. "Officer Jenny!?" Ash and Yuki exclaimed in bewilderment.

The officer seemed confused herself as she looked around. "What am I... doing here? I got a report that strange things were happening here, and I hurried over here. Then... I ran into that... Malamar!" Officer Jenny explained in confusion.

Suddenly, Malamar recovered as it floated up in the air. Everyone was startled, before they glared at the evil Pokémon. "Malamar! Malamar!" Malamar explained. Meowth gritted his teeth as he translated to what Malamar said.

"Hey! Malamar says that it's really grateful to Officer Jenny for doing all of its work for it!" Meowth snapped. Bonnie, Serena, and Clemont ran over to the two boys as they confronted the evil Pokémon. "Wait, what's going on!?" Serena snapped.

"Oh! Of course! Malamar must've hypnotized Officer Jenny so that she could assume the role of Madame X!" Clemont pointed out. Malamar cackled as he continued his explanation, narrowing its eyes at the group and Team Rocket.

"Malamar says that that's how it was able to start on a new weapon!" Meowth translated. That left everyone put their guards up as they glared at the evil Pokémon. "A new weapon?" Officer Jenny repeated. "And what are you going to do with it!?" Ash snapped.

Malamar once again said his words, as Meowth translated it. "Take over the world? Then that means, we're going to be doing the work for Malamar as we did before!" Meowth translated. James and Yuki were both furious at that plan.

"Oh!? In your dreams! Inkay, Psybeam!" James called. "Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" "Hawlucha, eliminate Malamar with Focus Blast!" Ash and Yuki called together. So, the three attacks were thrown, as they all exploded onto the evil Pokémon.

As the three attacks may have hit, Malamar seemed to be unaffected as he flew out of sight, heading for the hallway. "It's fleeing!" Clemont pointed out. "Argh! Come back here and fight, coward!" Jessie shrieked in annoyance.

The chase was on as everyone ran after Malamar. "We'll get it, for sure!" Ash called. As the chase went on, it ended when the evil Pokémon flew inside a dark door, which everyone followed it. As they arrived, they all made surprised looks on their faces.

"What's that!?" Ash gasped. "I'm guessing this is the new weapon..." Yuki guessed. "Malamar..." Malamar smirked, as Meowth translated again. "That's right! This is only beginning of the new world, and of its grand design!" Meowth translated.

Malamar talked, as Meowth translated once again. "But, now that it has been discovered, it has to destroy it right away!" Meowth explained. Suddenly, the spikes surrounding Malamar exploded, creating several explosions in the room.

Everyone yelled in surprise as Malamar laughed evilly. "Malamar... You're no Pokémon... You're a monster! A demon!" Yuki bellowed in anger. "Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha snapped along, only for the evil Pokémon to laugh even more.

"Malamar! Stop!" Ash snapped. But then, the two boys were blocked by Officer Jenny as she turned to the two boys with an urgent tone of hers. " You've got to run! It's going to blow!" Officer Jenny called.

Reluctant, everyone ran outside, heading for safety. All five evolved Pokémon followed as well, just until the observatory exploded, knocking everyone down on the ground. As the explosion nearly ended, Malamar flew off as Bonnie noticed.

"Look! It's Malamar!" Bonnie pointed out. Everyone looked up to see the evil Pokémon cackling as it flew out of sight, into the sky. "It's beginning of its grand design... Those words came from Malamar..." Clemont reminded.

"What does it mean? What happens next?" Serena asked, worried. "Well, there are still a lot of questions that are left unanswered." Officer Jenny reminded. Ash and Yuki could only watch as the Hawlucha Boy gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"That Malamar... He's a monster..." Yuki grunted angrily. "Haw..." Hawlucha growled, agreeing with his best friend. Ash bit his lips and looked where the Psychic-Dark Type had disappeared off to. "Malamar... That's one scary Pokémon..." Ash whispered.

"Pika..." Pikachu agreed. With the questions left unanswered, and a new mystery to solve, it's going to be solved soon, of course. But the target still remains for Yuki and the others to head for the Cyllage City Gym! How will the journey go?

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 33: The Rivalry At the Chateau!**

**Chapter 34: Yuki VS Sama! Viola VS Grant!**

**Chapter 35: Yuki VS Serena!? The Film of Bond!**

**Chapter 36: The Bond to Memory and Love!**

**Chapter 37: A Golden Magikarp Legend!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Serena: Ta-da! Ash! Yuki! You two are both going to love this! This is the Battle Chateau for all battling trainers!

Ash: Whoa, that's so cool! I wonder how many trainers I get to battle there! Do they give badges there, too?

Yuki: I wouldn't think so... That's for Gyms only. But, I do admit, that the Chateau might sound fun there...

Viola: Hey, you guys! I'm kind of surprised that you're all here right now!

Ash: Whoa, it's Viola! It's been a long time ever since our Santalune Gym Battle, hasn't it?

Sama: She's not the only one here. It's been a while, guys.


	33. The Rivalry At the Chateau!

**Chapter 33: The Rivalry At the Chateau!**

"Ta-da!" Serena and Bonnie cried together. They showed Ash, Yuki, and Clemont a picture of a chateau with Serena's Town Map guide. "What's that?" Ash asked, surprised with the sudden reveal.

"It's the Battle Chateau!" Serena explained. "Battle Chateau?" Ash repeated in confusion. "I've never heard of it before..." Clemont admitted. "Neither have I... This is all new to me..." Yuki admitted. "Lucha..." Hawlucha agreed.

Serena giggled and made her assurance to the two boys. "Ash, Yuki... You two are going to love this! It's nearby! So, let's go!" Serena assured with a smile. Ash and Yuki both rose their heads up, before they looked at each other with thoughts on their mind.

**[Pokémon: XY Volt Opening (English Subbed)]**

(Pikachu was shown kissing the screen until he ran with Ash, Yuki, and Hawlucha)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying,**_

(A scene showed a route crossroad, with Meowstic and a group of Swirlix floating by)

_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark, **_

(A grassfield where Vivillon, and Swanna groups are flying at a nearby town)

(Underwater where Water Type were swimming underwater)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were seeing a town from a bridge view)

_**Ice, Normal, Fighting, Fire,**_

(A flower field shows; a group of macarons show; a rainy night shows)

_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy,**_

(The group runs along the route in the city)

_**Come on, from here on out it's an adventure and there's only light ahead**_

(Ash's blue background show him and Pikachu sharing sandwiches together)

_**The sky overflows with a rain of tears but we push through**_

(Serena's pink background show her picking a hat, while Fennekin happily runs around her)

_**Come on, use your courage to be better than you were yesterday**_

(Clemont's blue and yellow background show him inventing a machine before it explodes, while Bonnie runs with Dedenne and Chespin)

_**Treasure any encounter  
****  
Heart's pounding, Challenger!**_

(Yuki's green background shows him and Hawlucha sparring with each other, while Litleo, Heracross, and Bulbasaur cheers)

_**Someday, my dream will be fulfilled **_

(Ash, Yuki, Hawlucha, and Pikachu were running only to be blocked by a huge cliff)

(Silhouettes of Kalos Gym Leaders shine in front of the two)

_**That's what you have taught me, and that's why I travel**_

(Serena place a hand on Ash's left shoulder, Clemont places a hand on Yuki's right shoulder, Bonnie grabs the two's hands together)

(The group runs to the field on their journey)

_**As the red ring of bonds spreads far and wide**_

**_I'll definitely reach out to everyone with this energy I suddenly feel_**

(Ash and Yuki make attack calls; Pikachu and Hawlucha fights and defeat the trainers' Honedge and Pangoro)

_**This blue planet of ours is shining with hope**_

(Clemont calls for attacks; Chespin uses Pin Missile, and Bunnelby uses Dig)

(Bonnie cheers, as Dedenne uses Thundershock)

(Serena calls for an attack; Fennekin uses Ember)

(Yuki calls for attacks; Bulbasaur uses Razor Leaf, Litleo uses Ember, Heracross uses Megahorn, and Hawlucha uses Karate Chop)

_**The yellow flowers bloom**_

(Ash calls for attacks: Froakie uses Water Pulse, Fletchling uses Steel Wing, as Pikachu uses Electro Ball)

(A Mega Evolution sign appears; Mega Lucario roars, sending huge power)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying**_  
_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark**_  
_**Ice, Normal, Fire, Fighting**_  
_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy**_

(Xerneas and Yvetal appears; The Japanese opening title appears)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie smile at the viewers with their Pokémon)

**(Title opening ends)**

"You see, when you have a battle at the Battle Chateau, the winning trainer earns something... Although I'm not sure what..." Serena admitted as she looked at her traveling guide. Both Ash and Bonnie were excited about this.

"That sounds amazing! Maybe you're awarded with some kind of badge!" Ash guessed. "Or a cake! I love cake!" Bonnie giggled. Both Yuki and Clemont laughed nervously, shaking their heads.

"Cake is not the award, Bonnie. And I doubt that a Gym Badge is an award to the winner, too..." Yuki assured. "So then, what do you earn?" Ash asked. The Hawlucha Boy blinked, before he glanced at his Wrestling Pokémon.

Hawlucha shrugged, sounding unsure as well. "Now, let's see..." Serena replied, looking at her guide. Before she can look up any details though, a finger pointed down at the group, saying the answer right away. "Noble title, yo!" The boy called.

"Fletchinder! Fletch!" Fletchinder chirped. Everyone blinked in surprise as they turned to see two boys that looked like twins. One boy was taller than the other boy. The taller one had a Fletchinder while the younger one had a Fletchling.

Rather than being surprised by the twins' sudden appearance, Ash took out his Pokédex, scanning Fletchinder. "Who's that Pokémon?" Ash asked. "A Fletchinder..." Yuki answered as the Pokédex said his words.

_"Fletchinder, the Ember Pokémon, and the evolved form of Fletchling. Fletchinder flies faster and faster as the flame sac on its stomach gradually heats up."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed. "Chinder!" Fletchinder chirped loudly.

The Kanto trainer grew amazed with the evolved form of his Tiny Robin Pokémon. "The evolved form of Fletchling... Wow!" Ash exclaimed. The taller boy wasn't impressed by Ash's reaction by using the Pokédex.

"Yo yo yo! Pokédex in my face, that's not cool, yo!" The taller boy scolded. "Ha ha... Sorry about that... So, what's the noble title?" Ash asked. The twins blinked together as the younger one looked amazed.

"Nico! He actually listened to what you said, yo yo!" The younger boy exclaimed. The taller boy, Nico, smirked as he made his explanation. Although, the explanation of his started to sound weird, which sounded more like rapping.

"Yo yo! You're not from around here, yo!" Nico stated. "Check out the legendary Riviere Walk, yo!" The younger boy called. "You should learn it if you're gonna be here, yo!" Nico stated again. Everyone was bewildered to hear their language.

"Uh..." Ash was left speechless as Serena asked the others. "Do you think that they're rapping?" Serena asked. That froze the twins up as they looked shocked. Yuki sweat dropped as he asked again. "Again, about the noble title?" Yuki asked.

"Hawlucha?" Hawlucha asked along. Instead of answering the question, Nico and the younger boy scoffed as they made their words again. "It's a real pain to explain, yo!" Nico explained. "But, we're headed to the Battle Chateau, yo!" The younger boy explained.

"Come with us and check it out, yo!" Nico suggested. Both Ash and Yuki stood up, as the Kanto trainer immediately agreed. "Great! It'll be the perfect warm-up for the Cyllage City Gym!" Ash stated. "Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed.

"That goes for me, too! I just wonder what kind of opponents are there...?" Yuki added. "Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha agreed. "Warm-up? I wouldn't be so sure about that, yo! It may be tougher than you think!" Nico smirked.

"You've got to be flawed when you get there, yo!" The younger boy added. "Ha... Since we're talking, we should introduce ourselves. I'm Yuki, and this is my partner, Hawlucha!" Yuki explained. "Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha called.

"Yeah! And I'm Ash! And this is my partner, Pikachu!" Ash explained. "Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu stated. "I'm Clemont! It's a pleasure to meet you both!" Clemont replied. "And I'm Bonnie!" "Serena's my name! Hi there!" Bonnie and Serena explained, introducing themselves.

"I'm Nico! And my partner is Fletchinder!" Nico introduced himself and his Flying Type partner. "And I'm Chester! My partner is Fletchling, yo!" Chester explained. With the introduction done, everyone agreed to head outside to head for the Battle Chateau.

They all walked in the Riviere Line pathway as they talked about the Battle Chateau. "So, today's the first time that you challenge the Battle Chateau, Chester?" Ash asked. "Uh huh! It sure is!" Chester chuckled, smiling sheepishly.

Nico turned back and explained their positions. "I already got my title for the Battle Chateau! My brother started to get really good at battling, so I'd figured that it'd be time for his debut!" Nico explained. "I see... I just wonder about the opponents there..." Yuki stated.

Serena sighed in relief, thinking that they're done with their 'rap' talking. "Huh... Finally, you're not talking weird." Serena sighed. But, she seemed to have spoken too soon as Nico pointed to a large chateau ahead. "Yo! There it is, yo!" Nico called.

Everyone looked up ahead to see the large chateau, which seemed to be the Battle Chateau. "Wow! Check it out!" Ash exclaimed. "Oh wow! It's gorgeous!" Serena commented. "Whoa... So this is it?" Yuki asked in amazement.

"Hawlucha..." Hawlucha agreed, widening his eyes in amazement. Soon, everyone made it to the entrance where Ash looked up to see some writings at the top of the Chateau entrance. "Huh? What's written up there?" Ash asked curiously.

"Battle Chateau... Show your strength with your title!" Clemont answered. Ash grinned at that, now wanting to prove more that he's a powerful Trainer. Yuki narrowed his eyes, as he looked up with a smile on his face. Hawlucha smirked, wanting a battle more than ever.

Soon, everyone headed inside, where the inside of the Chateau's entrance seemed to be gorgeous. "Wow..." Ash and Serena were both amazed as they headed inside first. Yuki, Nico, Clemont, Bonnie, and Chester followed behind.

A maid welcomed the group, bowing down to them. "Welcome, Baron Nico. The Battle Chateau welcomes you with open arms!" The maid welcomed. The Baron title left the others confused. "Baron?" Ash repeated in confusion.

As they looked, Nico and Chester walked ahead, as the older brother explained. "I brought my younger brother with me today. He'd like to have his debut battle today!" Nico explained. "I'm Chester! Pleased to meet you!" Chester explained.

Ash then stepped up, making his request as well. "I'd like to have a battle, too!" Ash explained. The maid blinked in surprise as she turned to the pumped up Kanto trainer. "Oh! And you are?" The maid asked.

"I'm Ash! And I come from Pallet Town of the Kanto region!" Ash explained. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. The Hawlucha Boy stepped up, asking his request for battle. "If you wouldn't mind, ma'am. I would like to take part of this as well. My name is Yuki Muramoto, and I come from Aquacorde Town." Yuki explained.

"Hawlucha Cha." Hawlucha replied with folded arms. "Well, well! If it isn't the honorable Baron Nico!" A man chuckled. Everyone turned their attention to see a royal man coming to their way, with a chuckle at seeing the older brother.

"It's a pleasure to see your brother making his debut." The man assured. Chester bowed down in thanks once again. "Thank you." Chester thanked. Nico turned to everyone, introducing the man. "This is the Chateau owner, Duke Turner!" Nico introduced.

Turner smiled and bowed, making his words. "Please to meet you! It's an honor to meet a guest who had traveled all the way from the Kanto region, along with traveling all the way from Aquacorde Town!" Turner replied.

Once the introduction was done, Turner and the maid led the five trainers and Bonnie to the hallway where there was a room where most trainers were gathered. As they were walking, Turner begins his explanation about the Battle Chateau.

"Our Chateau provides a fulfilling battling experience and serves as a meeting place, for all the many trainers who visit here!" Turner explained. Serena turned to both Ash and Yuki, whispering to them. "Ash! Yuki! This place sounds perfect for the two of you!" Serena stated.

"Yeah... You're right." Yuki agreed silently. "Yeah!" Ash agreed along. Turner then glanced at everyone else in the back, explaining more about the Chateau. "Now, the first thing to know is that all trainers in the Battle Chateau are preferred as 'knights'." Turner reminded.

"Knights? What an appropriate title for trainers that are battling in a castle!" Clemont complimented. "Mm hm... True. Then, each and every knight has a noble title, that is bestowed on them based on the grand total of their Battle Chateau victories!" Turner explained.

Soon, they approached the large doors, which seemed to be where all the Trainers could be gathering. "I wish you all best of luck in earning your highest possible noble title!" Turner replied. The maid soon turned to everyone, making her words.

"Allow me to show you the Battle Chateau sitting room! Each time you visit here, this is where you'll be choosing a battling adversary!" The maid explained. She opened the doors, as the room showed several trainers standing and chatting together.

Ash was in awe, along with Pikachu. Yuki blinked in amazement while Hawlucha smirked, seeing that there will be many opponents that he could be battling with soon. Turner cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have the distinct honor to present Baron Nico!" Turner announced. All the trainers turned, seeing Nico, along with Ash, Yuki, Serena, Bonnie, Chester, and Clemont. "Wow..." Ash said in awe.

Clemont adjusted his glasses, making his review in question. "So that means, everyone here is a knight?" Clemont asked. Chester stepped up, making his answer.

"Right! This is a great place to hang out with every trainers and trade stories and information, and also look for an opponent!" Chester agreed. "Hold on... Isn't there supposed to be a catch of who you're battling against?" Yuki asked, remembering of the noble title business.

"Right! You have to be the same noble title as that trainer you want to battle against!" Chester explained. Just then, Pikachu looked around and gasped. He grabbed everyone's attention and pointed to the ceiling, where a man seemed to be climbing on a wall.

"Huh!? What's that guy doing up there!?" Ash yelped in shock. The Vaniville girl was much more amazed for how the man was able to climb nearly to the top. "Wow... Who is he, anyway?" Serena asked. Yuki folded his arms as Nico explained.

"Oh yeah... That guy's name is Grant. He's always climbing walls." Nico explained. "So he's strong?" Yuki asked himself, smiling a bit. "Cha..." Hawlucha replied in amazement, then in amusement.

Nico turned to the other trainers, introducing himself. "Any Barons here who would be willing to accept the battle challenge from me?" Nico asked. For a few seconds, no one responded, until a white glove was thrown to him.

The group was startled to see the white glove thrown at Nico all of a sudden. "I'll accept your challenge! My name is Baron Farrell! How do you do?" Farrell asked politely. Nico bowed a little, smiling at his opponent.

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Nico chuckled. Farrell nodded back and smiled. "I'm looking forward to our battle." Farrell agreed. Suddenly, as the challenge was made and accepted, the giant glass doors opened, much to the group's surprise.

"Alright, Nico and Farrell! Please proceed to the battlefield!" The maid requested. So, the two trainers went along with it, heading for the battlefield. "All other knights may watch from the outside terrace!" The maid added.

Nico and Farrell followed the maid as they stood on opposite sides of the battlefield. As the group watched the start of it, another Trainer came inside the sitting room, where she noticed that a battle was about to begin.

It was none other than Viola! She walked up, only to look up to see Grant, waving at her. She chuckled nervously, waving back to him. The Santalune Gym Leader walked to the terrace, seeing familiar figures.

"Hey... That's Ash and Yuki!" Viola replied in surprise. Back at the battlefield, Nico and Farrell were wearing white cloaks, which seemed to be showing their noble title signs. "Check out the cape!" Ash pointed out.

"So cool!" Bonnie commented in amazement. "That's the tradition!" Turner explained. Everyone looked up to see Turner at the upper terrace. "The atmosphere is quite different than from the Pokémon Gym!" Clemont stated.

"True! The Battle Chateau is founded on the principles of a knight's duel! The aim is to elevate Pokémon battles through the spirit of chivalry! It became much more powerful than two powerful trainers simply battling along their greatest Pokémon in any clash of moves!" Turner explained.

He turned to the battlefield, chuckling. "A battle culture that held civility and high regard is born! Nowadays, Gym battles have become the mainstream! But, many people enjoy the Battle Chateau, something that they can only experience in the Kalos region!" Turner chuckled.

As he finished, Nico and Farrell had taken out their Pokéballs and showed them to each other. "Wearing those capes is so awesome!" Ash commented. "Yeah. White capes are worn only by Barons!" Chester explained.

"White capes for Barons? So, what are the other titles?" Yuki asked. "Heh heh... Baron is the first title! Then, there's Viscount! Earl is number three! Then, there's Marquis! Number five is Duke! And the highest title is Grand Duke!" Chester explained.

"It's just like royalty... Having six titles in all..." Yuki commented. "Yeah! And that's a lot of titles!" Ash commented along. Back at the battle, the Pokéballs were tapped together, as both trainers said their words.

"To a good battle!" "To a good battle!" Both Nico and Farrell claimed. As they were walking back, the maid explained the rules.

"The battle between Baron Nico and Baron Farrell is about to commence! If Baron Nico is victorious, that will be his tenth victory, allowing him to ascent the noble title of Viscount!" The maid explained.

"May you both battle with spirit while observing the knights' code of chivalry!" The maid added. "Fletchinder, come on out!" "Dusknoir, let's go!" Both Pokémon appeared in battle, while Bonnie grew amazed.

"Aw... They're so cute!" Bonnie squealed. "Cute isn't the right word... It's more likely tough." Yuki muttered. "Hawlucha Haw." Hawlucha agreed, shaking his head in disappointment. As for Ash, he was amazed to see the familiar Ghost Type.

"Wow! It's a Dusknoir!" Ash commented. The Hawlucha Boy took out his Pokédex, scanning the Ghost Type. _"Dusknoir, the Gripper Pokémon. Dusknoir is said to travel between the human and spirit worlds."_ Yuki's Pokédex buzzed.

Chester clenched his hands into fists as he watched carefully. "Nico will win! His Fletchinder is super powerful!" Chester assured. Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie watched carefully as the battle began.

**Farrell: Dusknoir VS Nico: Fletchinder**

"Use ThunderPunch!" Farrell called. The Gripper Pokémon prepared an Electric attack, aiming it towards the Flying Type Fletchinder. "Use Flame Charge!" Nico called. Fletchinder surrounded himself in fire, charging towards Dusknoir.

Suddenly, as the two were about to clash, Dusknoir had suddenly disappeared, leaving the group surprised. "Huh!? It's gone!" Serena gasped. Suddenly, as the evolved form of Fletching flew up, Dusknoir suddenly appeared!

It slammed its ThunderPunch on the Fire-Flying Type, nearly knocking it down! Ash, Serena, and Yuki were all left in surprise. "Fletchinder's been hit!" Ash exclaimed. "Ghost Types are so scary! They can disappear and reappear!" Serena pointed out.

"Well, that is the Ghost Type's specialty, to play a trick by disappearing." Yuki reminded. Clemont was in shock as he pointed out the type advantage. "Electric Type moves are super effective against Flying Types!" Clemont pointed out.

Chester gritted his teeth, seeing that his older brother was in a pinch, too. Grant on the other hand, watched while hanging onto the Chateau's inside walls. Suddenly, Fletchinder managed to recover and fly straight down with Flame Charge!

"Wow! Look at Fletchinder go!" Ash pointed out. "Awesome!" Chester complimented. The Flame Charge did its work, slamming Dusknoir to the ground, hard. Everyone in the terrace was amazed as Yuki grew speechless.

He smirked, seeing how much fun and serious battling can be. "Hawlucha, why don't we battle and aim for the top, too?" Yuki suggested. "Haw cha!" Hawlucha replied with a grin and folded arms.

"Whoa, that Flame Charge was powerful!" Ash exclaimed. "Right! Nico and Fletchinder had trained really hard for this battle!" Chester explained. Suddenly, there was a tap on Ash's shoulder, getting his attention.

"Yoo hoo!" Viola called. Everyone turned to see the Bug Type user in surprise. "Huh!? Viola!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed in amazement. "Hey there, Ash! Yuki! Wow, who would've thought I would run to both of you at the same time?" Viola chuckled.

"None of us did. It's great to see you again, Viola." Yuki replied, smiling. Viola giggled, as the Kanto trainer asked a question. "What are you doing here?" Ash asked. "I love the Chateau! Actually, I have the noble title of Duchess!" Viola explained.

"Duchess!?" Ash repeated in surprise. "You mean, the same rank in Duke, but in a female version, right?" Yuki asked. "Precisely! That means I have the second highest title!" Viola agreed.

That made Serena amazed. "Oh wow! So that must mean you won a lot of battles in order to become Duchess!" Serena complimented. Meanwhile, back at the battle, the dust cleared to reveal Dusknoir has fainted.

"That's it! And Fletchinder is the winning Pokémon!" The maid announced.

**Winner: Nico**

Fletchinder flew back to its trainer as Nico smiled in triumph. He bowed to Farrell politely, while Farrell bowed back without hesitation. "Alright! Nico won!" Chester exclaimed. "That Fletchinder is strong!" Ash complimented.

Soon, Nico was wearing a new, blue cloak. "Now that Nico has had ten victories, his noble title will change! He goes from the noble title of Baron to the noble title of Viscount!" The maid announced.

Everyone began to applaud for the battle that the two trainers had made. "Excellent! We applaud the two gifted knights and their Pokémon for a valiant battle!" Turner replied with a chuckle. Suddenly, something fell behind him, causing him to startle.

Everyone turned to the fall in surprise as the group were surprised as well. "What was that!?" Ash exclaimed. "Someone fell from the walls!" Yuki called. The group ran over to the fallen Grant as Viola sighed.

"Huh?... Argh. Not again..." Viola groaned. "Grant, once more?" Turner asked in worry. The man grunted as he held his back. "I'm afraid I just couldn't help it but applaud! It was to show my respect for such a brilliant battle!" Grant explained.

Viola walked over with a knowing look. "But Grant... If you felt that way, why didn't you come down first?" Viola asked. Grant cleared his throat, and gestured to the walls of the Battle Chateau.

"Because the walls refuses to let me go! The walls here are so smooth... They're irresistible... they draw me to them! You do see the delicate beauty of the Battle Chateau's walls, do you, Viola?" Grant asked.

The Santalune Gym Leader sweat dropped and shook her head. "Talk about their beauty all you want, but I'll never understand the appeal of walls." Viola sighed. Yuki laughed nervously as he sighed.

Just then, there was a white glove thrown at his shoulder. Everyone turned in surprise to see the gloves. "Huh? White gloves?" Serena asked in surprise. "That would mean a battle challenge!" Clemont stated.

Yuki frowned as he took the gloves off. "But... I'm not a Baron yet. Who would want to battle me when I don't have a noble title yet?" Yuki asked. "I would, Yuki! Just like you, I don't have a noble title as well." A familiar, shy voice explained.

The group turned in surprise, along with Viola and Grant. The one who threw the white gloves was a blonde haired boy with black eyes. "You're... Sama!?" Yuki exclaimed in surprise.

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Tackle, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 34: Yuki VS Sama! Viola VS Grant!**

**Chapter 35: Yuki VS Serena!? The Film of Bond!**

**Chapter 36: The Bond to Memory and Love!**

**Chapter 37: A Golden Magikarp Legend!**

**Chapter 38: New Task! Catch Golden Magikarp!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Perfect! It's our turn to battle and earn our newest noble title, Pikachu! Let's go!

Chester: Fletchling and I've been training real hard! So there's no way we're going to lose that easily!

Sama: I have to win, in order to become stronger and to become more confident! And I want to prove it by battling against you, Yuki!

Yuki!: If you want a battle, then you've got one! But believe me, I'm no easy Trainer that you could easily win against.

Grant: I see... So that's the spirit and power you were telling me about, about those two, right? Ash and Yuki... Quite amazing...

Viola: That's right. They have persistence and determination! Something that I can't even overpower!


	34. Yuki VS Sama! Viola VS Grant!

**Chapter 34: Yuki VS Sama! Viola VS Grant!**

Last time on "Pokémon Kalos Journey", after the incident with Malamar, the group continued on their way to Cyllage City, until they stopped by the Pokémon Center to let Serena show them something new.

She presented everyone the Battle Chateau, where Ash and Yuki might enjoy the place a lot. When asked what a noble title was, two brothers named Nico and Chester, with their Fletchinder and Fletchling suddenly appeared.

The two brothers explained about the Chateau, along with the noble titles, which were six titles. As they were in the Chateau, Nico was challenged to a battle, so that he could rise up to the Viscount title.

It was Farrell's Dusknoir against Nico's Fletchinder, until the results came out with Fletchinder as the winner. As a result, Nico was risen up from the Baron rank to the Viscount rank. Viola had appeared as well, with her title as Duchess.

When the battle was over, Grant had fallen over, with him explaining about his resistance with the walls. While he was talking, a white glove fell onto Yuki, as he was challenged to a battle, by none other than Sama.

"You're... Sama!?" Yuki exclaimed in surprise. "That's right! It's been a while since we met, guys!" Sama chuckled, while fidgeting with his fingers. "Whoa, it's really Sama! But, what are you doing here?" Ash asked.

"W-Well... You see... Like I said when we last parted, I was headed for the Shalour Gym, only to realize that the Gym Leader wasn't there, so I decided to come here and train for a while." Sama explained.

Viola blinked, recognizing the shy Sinnoh trainer. "Ah, I remember you! You're that challenger I had in my Gym! You really gave me a battle!" Viola giggled. "Miss Viola! You're here, too!?" Sama gasped in shock.

"Challenger?" Ash repeated in confusion. "That's right! Right after you two defeated me, I was asked to have another challenge. That challenger was Sama right here! He really knocked me down with his Chimchar." Viola explained.

Grant walked up, seeing the shy trainer. "I see... So he was your challenger..." Grant chuckled. Everyone turned back to the man as Ash turned back to Viola with another question of his.

"You know this guy, Viola?" Ash asked. "His name is Grant! He's never seen a wall here that he didn't love! Also... he's strong!" Viola explained, giving a wink. That left the Kanto trainer amazed, along with Sama.

"Ah... They told me the rules! I'd like to battle you so I was wondering what your title is!" Ash explained. "Pika?" Pikachu added in question. Grant gave a small bow, answering. "My noble title here is Duke!" Grant answered.

"Duke is the second highest title that you can get!" Clemont stated. Sama blinked, before he bit his lips. He then turned to the Hawlucha Boy with a reminder. "Um... About our battle?" Sama asked.

Yuki turned around with a small smile. "Oh, right... You say that you don't have a noble title yet, right?" Yuki asked. The shy trainer nodded as the Hawlucha Boy made a determined fist.

"In that case, I accept your challenge, Sama!" Yuki declared. At the sound of acceptance, Turner cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention. "Alright then! Let us proceed to the two debut battling for four knights, who have come here for the first time today!" Turner announced.

"New knights?" Ash asked in question. Chester stepped up, pointing to himself with a smirk. "Yeah... Turner is talking about us four!" Chester explained. Yuki, Ash, and Sama smiled together as they nodded at each other.

So, with the order decided, the first battle was decided to be Yuki versus Sama, while the second was Ash versus Chester. The Hawlucha Boy and the shy trainer stood on the battlefield, facing against each other.

"Please give the knights who are about to have their first battle at the Battle Chateau, along with the two other knights with a round of applause!" The maid called. At that, the trainers all applauded for the first battle that was about to begin.

Clemont, Serena, Bonnie, Nico, Ash, and Chester watched as the first battle was about to begin. At the higher terrace, Grant and Viola sat with each other, with Grant giving the Santalune Gym Leader a juice.

"So... you were saying that you battled against both Ash and Yuki before?" Grant asked. The Bug Type user sipped her drink, before she looked back at the battlefield.

"The two of them are gutsy trainers, that's for sure! As for their Pokémon, they're quite amazing! Once you see their passion drive, I'm sure you'll agree!" Viola assured. Grant could only look at the battlefield with a thought in his mind.

"Yuki and Sama, whoever wins this first battle will then be awarded the noble title of Baron!" The maid announced. "Okay..." "Alright." The two boys agreed. "Then, let's get underway!" The maid called.

Both boys tapped their Pokéballs onto each others, as they faced against each other. Hawlucha was besides Yuki, folding his arms in expectation. "To a good battle!" Sama called. "To a good battle." Yuki repeated.

With that said, both trainers headed to their battle box, where they prepared for battle. Yuki put Hawlucha's Pokéball away, glancing at his Fighting Type partner. "Let's show the people a good battle, okay, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked.

"Cha!" Hawlucha agreed. Nico blinked in surprise to see this. "Hold on... What was in Yuki's Pokéball, then?" Nico asked. "That belonged to Hawlucha! I don't think Hawlucha ever went inside his Pokéball, though..." Clemont explained.

"He's just like with Pikachu! Pikachu hates to go inside his Pokéball, too!" Ash explained. "Oh..." Nico said, understanding. "A-Alright... Since you're starting with your partner, it's fair for me to use mine! Let's go, Chimchar!" Sama called.

The shy Chimp Pokémon appeared, facing against Hawlucha. "Chim Chimchar!" Chimchar cried, ready for battle. "Hawlucha..." Hawlucha chuckled in amusement. Both battlers looked ready as the maid made the call.

"Now! Let the battle begin!" The maid called.

**Sama: Chimchar VS Yuki: Hawlucha**

"You can go first, Sama!" Yuki called. The shy trainer blinked, before accepting the challenge. "Huh? Oh, alright... Chimchar, use Ember!" Sama called. Chimchar leapt in the air, shooting fireballs at Hawlucha.

"Dodge it!" Yuki called. The Wrestling Pokémon got out of the way, causing the Ember to miss. "Huh!? Uh... Use Fury Swipes, then!" Sama cried. Chimchar lunged towards Hawlucha, preparing to make multiple slashes at his opponent.

"And counter that with Karate Chop!" Yuki cried. Hawlucha ran forward, charging for Chimchar. The clash between Karate Chop and Fury Swipes went on, until the Fighting Type move overpowered Fury Swipes!

One of the attacks slammed Chimchar away, causing it to shriek in pain. "Oh no, Chimchar!" Sama gasped. "Yeah! Keep it up, Yuki!" Ash cheered. "Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered along.

"Chimchar! Use Flame Wheel!" Sama cried. Chimchar charged forward, with fire surrounding him. "Dodge it, once more!" Yuki called. Once again, the Fighting-Flying Type dodged the attack, and flew in the air.

"Huh!? Again!?" Sama gasped in surprise. "Now, Aerial Ace, back to back!" Yuki shouted. Hawlucha dove down, slamming Chimchar away with the Aerial Ace attack! Sama gasped as his starter was being bashed back to back by Aerial Ace.

"No way... Chimchar! Use Flame Wheel!" Sama yelled. Trying to recover from the multiple Aerial Ace attacks, Chimchar shook his head and this time bashed Hawlucha away with the Fire Type move!

"Whoa..." Yuki whispered in surprise. The Wrestling Pokémon flew back as he chuckled in amusement. "Haw Hawlucha..." Hawlucha chuckled in amusement. "Great! Now, use Ember!" Sama called.

"Block it, quick!" Yuki yelled. As Ember flew towards Hawlucha, the Fighting-Flying Type blocked them, as his arms were a bit burnt in the process. "Chimchar, this is your chance! Use Flame Wheel!" Sama yelled.

"Hawlucha, dodge! Then use Flying Press!" Yuki cried. After dodging the Flame Wheel, Hawlucha dove down, smashing Chimchar to the ground with his powerful attack. Chimchar shrieked as he struggled to get free.

"This isn't good!" Sama gasped. At the higher terrace, Grant was amazed at the power that the Fighting duo had. "You know? You were right about Yuki... He and his Hawlucha knows how to show power together." Grant pointed out.

"I told you so. I barely stood a chance against him when we first battled." Viola explained, recalling of the loss she had in Yuki's first Kalos Gym battle. "Chimchar! Get out of there, hurry! Ember!" Sama yelled.

Chimchar took short breaths and shot Ember on Hawlucha's chest, causing the Fighting Type to yelp as he leapt back, trying to dust the burnt part of his fur away. Yuki narrowed his eyes as he glanced at Sama.

_"He's not the really shy Sama, huh... And his Chimchar seems to be more fired up than the last time we met..."_ Yuki thought. "Now, Chimchar! Use Shadow Claw!" Sama cried. "Dodge it! Then, use Focus Blast!" Yuki cried.

Chimchar lunged with the Ghost Type attack, which Hawlucha dodged, and flew into the air. Then, without warning, the Wrestling Pokémon launched the Focus Blast at Chimchar, who shrieked in surprise.

The move exploded onto the Chimp Pokémon, as Sama gasped. "Oh no! Chimchar!" Sama gasped. Everyone in the terrace gasped as Yuki and Hawlucha could only watch to see of what could happen to their opponent.

The smoke cleared, revealing Chimchar knocked out while Hawlucha still standing. "That's enough! Hawlucha is the winning Pokémon!" The maid declared. The crowd applauded, seeing how intense and great the battle was.

**Winner: Yuki**

Clemont, Ash, Serena, Chester, Clemont, and Bonnie all applauded for the battle as well. Soon, both trainers walked up to each other, bowing to each other. "Thank you very much." Both Sama and Yuki thanked each other.

The shy trainer held Chimchar in the arms, as the Fire Type woke up, slowly recovering from the last battle. "Chim..." Chimchar groaned, feeling disappointed in himself for losing the battle.

"It's okay, Chimchar. We can win the next time!" Sama assured. "Char..." Chimchar replied with a sad nod. He then turned to Hawlucha, who smirked in amusement. "Lucha. Hawlucha." Hawlucha complimented.

Chimchar smirked back weakly with a nod. "Chim..." Chimchar replied, while Yuki noticed. "Well... I can see a new rivalry between those two!" Yuki chuckled. "What... Rivalry?" Sama asked, surprised.

"Yeah... Look at them! They're both smirking at each other and complimenting each other. When the fire in their hearts are high by looking at each other, a rivalry is formed, as they both promise to get stronger than each other someday." Yuki explained.

"I-I see... Is that true, Chimchar? Your new rival is Hawlucha?" Sama asked. "Chimchar!" Chimchar responded with a nod. The maid came between the two, turning to the Hawlucha Boy.

She presented a white robe, that represented the Baron title as he put it on Yuki. "And now, I'm pleased to announce that Yuki from Aquacorde Town is awarded the title of Baron!" The maid announced, giving a small bow.

The Hawlucha Boy chuckled as he gave a small bow back, with Hawlucha following. The applause continued as the maid then stepped out of the way, preparing to call for Ash and Chester.

Sama congratulated the Hawlucha Boy with a smile. "Thanks for a great battle, Yuki! I think I learned of what I need to know for my upcoming Gym battles someday!" Sama thanked with a small grin.

"Same to you. Let's have another battle someday when the time comes, okay?" Yuki suggested. "Okay! It's a deal!" Sama agreed, determined to win the next one. "Chim! Chimchar!" "Haw cha!" The two new rivals agreed.

Later, it was Ash and Chester's turn as they faced off against each other for battle. "Now! Let's give our knights who are about to have their first battle at the Battle Chateau a round of applause!" The maid called.

Once again, the crowd applauded for Ash and Chester's first battle. Viola and Grant continued watching as he turned to the Santalune Gym Leader. "Looks like it's Ash's turn." Grant pointed out.

"Yeah! He has passion as well along with his Pokémon! Just watch and you might agree with me again!" Viola assured. The man smiled at that, before he turned to see the starting battle of Ash and Chester.

"Ash and Chester, whoever wins this first battle will then be awarded with the noble title of Baron!" The maid explained. "Right!" Ash agreed. "Well, I've been training hard and long for this day! I'm gonna win!" Chester assured.

"Then, let's get underway!" The maid called. Just like in the last battle, Ash and Chester bumped their Pokéballs against each other, saying their words. "To a good battle!" Chester said.

"O-Oh yeah! To a good battle!" Ash agreed. With the words said, both trainers headed back to their battle boxes. Ash put Pikachu's Pokéball away, ready to face his first Battle Chateau battle challenge.

"Okay, Pikachu! Go get 'em!" Ash cried. "Pikachu!" Pikachu cried out. He jumped onto the battlefield, as the Kanto trainer grew pumped up. "This is our first battle here! I want to win it with you!" Ash explained. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

Chester only smirked as he took out his partner's Pokéball. "And my Pokémon... It's Fletchling!" Chester cried. He sent out his Tiny Robin Pokémon, who landed on his right arm. Ash grew surprised with the choice.

"But Fletchling is a Flying Type-!" Ash started, until Chester explained. "We've been training hard alongside with Nico's Fletchinder! It'll be able to take anything you try!" Chester assured while smirking.

"Anything he tries?" Yuki repeated in disbelief. "Has Fletchling ever defeated an Electric Type before?" Sama asked, scratching his left cheek. "Not sure! I never saw him battle an Electric Type..." Nico admitted.

Everyone else fell over as Serena chuckled nervously. "You never? That's gotta be surprising..." Serena chuckled nervously. By then, the battle had begun under the maid's call. "Now! Let the battle begin!" The maid called.

**Chester: Fletchling VS Ash: Pikachu**

"Alright! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash cried. The Electric Type shot a Thunderbolt, as Chester made his call. "Agility!" Chester cried. Fletchling flew into the air, dodging multiple Thunderbolts with the Agility move.

"Ha! You won't get away! Use Electro Ball!" Ash called. Pikachu responded by throwing multiple Electro Ball attacks, which Fletchling dodged again. At the higher terrace, Grant watched as he made his comment.

"Ash is starting off strong!" Viola chuckled. "Perhaps... Although Flying Type Pokémon are weak against Electric Type moves, it won't mean anything it if doesn't connect. Strength could only take you so far..." Grant commented.

"Use Feather-Dance!" Chester smirked. Fletchling flew up, and threw several glowing feathers onto his Electric Type opponent, startling both Ash and Pikachu. "What's going on!?" Ash exclaimed in surprise.

"We just lowered Pikachu's attack power! Steel Wing, let's go!" Chester taunted. Fletchling then dove towards Pikachu with the attack as the Kanto trainer prepared to counter the attack. "We won't lose! Use Iron Tail!" Ash cried.

Pikachu jumped up and clashed with Fletchling with Iron Tail, only for Iron Tail to feel much weaker. "Pikachu's Iron Tail is much weaker than it normally is..." Clemont stated as Yuki frowned.

"If Ash doesn't end this soon, this could spell trouble for him..." Yuki reminded. "Well, Feather-Dance is an amazing move!" Bonnie commented, causing Yuki to glance at her with a sigh. "Just whose side are you on?" Yuki grumbled.

"Ash and Pikachu! Do it!" Serena called, cheering for her friends. Chester called out another attack to finish it. "Fletchling, use Steel Wing!" Chester cried. "Use Iron Tail to counter it!" Ash yelled.

Once again, the two Steel Type moves clashed, while Chester was shocked to see how the two attacks were equal. "But Pikachu's attack power should be down!" Chester complained. Ash gritted his teeth, explaining his choice.

"If one hit isn't enough, we'll attack multiple times!" Ash cried. That put Chester off guard as Pikachu slammed Fletchling down with another strike of Iron Tail. Grant was amazed as he changed his opinion of Ash.

"You know? You were right about Ash's strength!" Grant admitted as Viola smirked. "See?" Viola teased. Grant smiled, seeing how the battle could be over now. "With the strength over the adversity? Looks like this battle is already over." Grant stated.

"Now, check out Pikachu's Thunderbolt!" Ash called, back at the battle. It was too late for the Tiny Robin Pokémon to dodge as the Thunderbolt made a direct hit on him! Fletchling chirped in pain before it fell to the ground.

"Oh no!" Chester gasped. He could only watch as his Flying Type partner had lost the battle. The maid then stepped up, announcing the results. "That's it! And Pikachu is the winning Pokémon!" The maid declared.

**Winner: Ash**

Yuki, Serena, Sama, Clemont, and Bonnie were all amazed while Nico frowned a bit in disappointment. Back at the battlefield, both Ash and Chester bowed down to each other for a great battle.

"Thank you very much." The two said together. While Chester held onto his unconscious Fletchling, Ash grinned, rubbing his Electric Type's head. "I knew you could win it, Pikachu!" Ash complimented. "Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed happily.

Chester smiled, complimenting his partner for a hard try. "You were strong too, Fletchling! Thank you for working so hard!" Chester thanked. Everyone applauded for another good battle, as Nico sighed with little disappointment.

"Chester lost..." Nico sighed. "You know, there's always next time!" Clemont reminded. "Yeah... He'll just have to train with me more! Today's loss is tomorrow's win!" Nico assured with a chuckle. "I think that goes for us, too!" Sama replied.

He turned to his Fire Type partner, as Chimchar nodded in determination. "Chim!" Chimchar cried out with a nod. Back at the field, the maid gave Ash a white robe, representing the noble title of Baron.

"And now, I'm pleased to present that Ash from Pallet Town, is awarded with the noble title of Baron! Congratulations." The maid declared. The Kanto trainer was amazed to see himself wearing the noble title robe.

"Ha ha! I'm a Baron now!" Ash exclaimed, showing himself off. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed with a grin. Chester applauded a little for that as he offered a hand to Ash. "Bummed that I lost, but congratulations!" Chester said.

Ash blinked, before he accepted the hand with a grin. The two smiled at each other, both complimenting each other for their first battle. Just then, as Yuki watched, Hawlucha tapped him on the arm, getting his attention.

"What is it, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked. "Lucha. Hawlucha Haw." Hawlucha explained, gesturing to Ash. The Hawlucha Boy blinked, before he smiled with a nod. "Alright then. Got it." Yuki replied as he stood back up.

Later, as Ash came back up, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all complimented Ash for making his first victory at the Battle Chateau. Nico complimented his younger brother for his skills and strength, while saying that there's always next time.

Viola took out a camera, asking to take a picture of Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Sama. "A picture for your first wins at the Chateau, Ash! Yuki! Now, smile!" Viola called. Everyone gave a smile as she clicked the camera, getting the picture.

"Alright! So, who wants some more?" Ash asked, eager to battle again. "Again? Ash, you just battled! And isn't Pikachu a bit exhausted from battling Fletchling?" Serena scolded, putting her hands on her hips.

Before the Kanto trainer could respond, Yuki gently threw a white glove onto Ash's shoulder, getting the other's attention in surprise. "A white glove...? Yuki?" Ash asked, as he turned to the Hawlucha Boy. "Right. That was me." Yuki admitted.

"Hold on. But why now?" Clemont asked. "Hawlucha just wants another battle. And besides, since we both got to the Baron rank at the same time, why don't we offer the other trainers one more battle between the two novices of the Chateau?" Yuki explained.

"Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha agreed, folding his arms. Both Serena and Clemont were unsure about this, until Grant stepped up, seemingly interested in the idea. "I'd like that. To see the two of you battling against each other." Grant replied.

"That goes for me, too! I want to see how the two of you got strong. And I'll know it if you two battle against each other!" Viola agreed. Sama blinked, before he cleared his throat. "The same is for me, too!" Sama exclaimed.

"Chim! Chimchar!" Chimchar cried out on agreement. The group grew surprised as the Kanto trainer turned to Pikachu, while Yuki turned to Hawlucha. "What do you think, Pikachu. Should we do it?" Ash asked.

"Pika! Pika Pi!" Pikachu agreed, feeling determined for another win. "Haw cha!" Hawlucha replied along, not waiting for his friend to start the question. "I guess that goes for you too, huh? Alright, then." Yuki chuckled.

The two boys faced against each other, both preparing for their second battle at the Chateau. "So, Yuki? You ready to go?" Ash asked. "I'm ready when you are, Ash." Yuki answered, cracking his knuckles.

Turner and the maid chuckled together as they seemed to have heard the news. "Well, well! Now this looks to be interesting! Are you two wanting to have a new battle with each other?" Turner asks, as the two boys nods in response.

"Very well, then! Attention, everyone! Please watch as the two Barons, Yuki and Ash have challenged each other to a battle! These two may have achieved the Baron rank, but they both choose to go far for their next battle!" The maid explained.

The other trainers began to applaud to that. They seem to be looking forward to another battle as well! "Please come to the battlefield, you two. And along with your Baron robes, as well." The maid requested.

"Right!" "Sure!" Ash and Yuki agreed. So, without wasting any more time, both boys were on the battlefield once more, preparing to battle each other the fourth time. They pressed their Pokéballs on each others, as they said their words.

"To a good battle, Ash." Yuki replied. "To a good battle, Yuki!" Ash said back. Once the words were, they were back at the battle boxes as they put their empty Pokéballs away, which both belonged to Pikachu and Hawlucha.

"Pikachu! Ready for round two?" Ash asked. "Pikachu!" Pikachu cried as he jumped onto the battlefield, ready to fight again. "Here we go, Hawlucha!" Yuki called. "Haw cha!" Hawlucha grunted as he faced Pilachu again.

"Now then... Let the battle begin!" The maid called.

**Yuki: Hawlucha VS Ash: Pikachu**

"Okay! Let's go, Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!" Ash cried. Pikachu dashed forward, aiming to hit Hawlucha. "Dodge it, quick!" Yuki called. Hawlucha stepped out of the way, causing the Quick Attack to miss!

"You won't escape again! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted. Pikachu jumped up from behind and shot a Thunderbolt attack! "And counter that with Focus Blast!" Yuki called. Hawlucha managed to charge up a Focus Blast to counter Thunderbolt.

The two moves collided together, creating an explosion. But at this time, Ash was even more determined to win. "Now, use Iron Tail!" Ash called. Out of the smoke, Pikachu shot up, landing his Iron Tail on Hawlucha.

"Block it with Karate Chop!" Yuki cried. Both Karate Chop and Iron Tail collided together, creating a strong blow of air across the battlefield. Even the two boys felt it, the power that was increasing in their Pokémon.

After several more clashes, both Pikachu and Hawlucha separated from each other, getting back to their trainers' sides. "Great! Pikachu, use Electro Ball!" Ash cried. Once again, the Electric Type leapt in the air, this time launching an Electro Ball!

"Counter that with Focus Blast!" Yuki cried. Once again, the two moves collided, exploding on each other. Clemont was quite confused on how Yuki was battling. "That's strange... I didn't think Yuki would battle this way..." Clemont stated.

"What do you mean, Clemont?" Bonnie asked. "For a martial artist, they can't just focus on defense, they have to attack! But what Yuki is doing is only defending and countering Pikachu's moves! He's not attacking back at all!" Clemont explained.

Serena, Sama, and Bonnie always watched nervously, seeing how different Yuki's battling style was. "Well, either way, both Ash and Yuki's Pokémon powers are looking equal!" Nico pointed out, while folding his arms.

Back at the battle, Yuki suddenly changed from defensive to offensive mode, surprising the others. "Now, Hawlucha! Use Flying Press!" Yuki cried. Hawlucha flew into the air, before he slammed Pikachu to the ground with a Flying Press.

"Stay strong, Pikachu! Give Hawlucha a Thunderbolt!" Ash cried. The Electric Type nodded as he gave Hawlucha a shock, as the Wrestling Pokémon tried to resist the super effective attack. "Stay strong, Hawlucha! Use Aerial Ace!" Yuki cried.

Recovering from the sudden Thunderbolt, Hawlucha first flew into the air, then dove down, slashing Pikachu with the Flying Type move multiple times. "Don't give in, Pikachu! Use Electro Ball, quick!" Ash encouraged.

The Electric Type nodded as he launched an Electro Ball, which surprisingly hit the real Hawlucha! "What!?" Yuki gasped. The Wrestling Pokémon fell to the ground, looking paralyzed with the attacks that he took.

Clemont, Serena, Nico, Sama, Chester, and Bonnie all gasped, while Viola and Grant kept watching in the higher terrace. They remained silent, while continuing to inspect the battling process.

"Great! Hawlucha can't move because of the paralysis! Let's use this chance to use Iron Tail, Pikachu!" Ash cried. Once again, running to attack, the Electric Type prepared his Steel Type move to strike as Yuki countered.

"We're not falling for that! Hawlucha, dodge!" Yuki cried. Dodging in time, the Iron Tail had missed while Pikachu looked up, glaring at the Wrestling Pokémon. "Now, use Flying Press!" Yuki cried, pointing at Pikachu.

Hawlucha let out a battle cry before he aimed to slam down on Pikachu. "Stop Hawlucha with Thunderbolt!" Ash cried. Pikachu once again shot more of his electricity, hoping to hit his opponent and friend, but it was futile.

All the attacks that the Electric Type had thrown, the Fighting-Flying Type dodged it all. "Do it!" Yuki yelled. Like before, Pikachu was once again slammed to the ground as Ash tried to counter. "Get out of there, Pikachu! With Electro Ball!" Ash cried.

Pikachu grunted and tried to use Electro Ball to escape from Hawlucha, only for the Wrestling Pokémon to see it coming and escape the attack. "This is it, Ash! Now, Hawlucha! Wrap this up with a Focus Blast!" Yuki yelled.

"I wouldn't count on it! Use Electro Ball!" Ash shouted. Both starters prepared to launch their final attacks, as everyone watched. Soon, when the timing was right, they threw their special attacks at the same time.

To the boys' shock, along with their starters, the two attacks missed each other, causing them to hit each other! Pikachu was blasted away by the Focus Blast, while Hawlucha was zapped by the Electro Ball attack.

The two moves exploded onto each other, causing both Ash and Yuki to gasp in shock. Everyone were in shock to see that the two moves hit the same time. There was silence as the dust cleared.

Both Pikachu and Hawlucha were unconscious, until they both started to get up. "Hawlucha! Can you still fight!?" Yuki called. "Hawlucha..." Hawlucha grunted as he managed to stand up straight.

"What about you, Pikachu!?" Ash called. "Pika..." Pikachu groaned, as he managed to stand straight as well. Everyone watched in silence, until one fell. Hawlucha was about to fall, until he stopped himself.

But for the Electric Type, he fell to the ground, unconscious. "Ah! Oh no, Pikachu!" Ash gasped. The maid stepped up, stopping the battle. "That's it! And Hawlucha is the winning Pokémon of this battle!" The maid declared.

**Winner: Yuki**

An applause occurred once again as Hawlucha punched weakly in the air, saying his victory cry. "Haw cha cha..." Hawlucha grunted, as Yuki helped him up. "Thanks for battling, Hawlucha." Yuki thanked, with Hawlucha nodding.

Ash held Pikachu in his arms, as the Electric Type looked up at Ash with an apologetic look on his face. "Pika Pi..." Pikachu said, feeling sorry as Ash smiled softly. "Don't worry, Pikachu! You did the best that you could!" Ash assured.

The Electric Type smiled back as the two boys walked towards each other. They bowed down to each other, saying their words. "Thank you very much." Ash and Yuki said to each other. They both grinned at each other, before chuckling as well.

The other trainers and people applauded even more for a great battle once again. Even their friends applauded for their great battle as well. Grant and Viola even applauded along as the trainer turned to the Gym Leader.

"So? What did you think of the battle, Grant?" Viola asked. "It could've gone either way. But, I do have to say, I am impressed with their passion and skills for battle." Grant commented. Viola smiled at that.

"You just know the right thing to say, huh?" The Santalune Gym Leader teased. Grant then turned to Viola, holding a white glove, much to Viola's surprise. She then smiled, knowing of what Grant's been wanting.

**Later...**

Ash laughed nervously, seeing that this was the fourth time he had lost to Yuki in a battle. "Oh man... I can't beat you at all, can I?" Ash laughed nervously while Yuki smiled a little. "Someday you might, Ash..." Yuki assured.

Just then, as everyone looked down, they saw another battle coming up! This time, it was Viola fighting against Grant! "Look at that! Viola and Grant are going to battle each other!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu cried out.

That got everyone's attention as they looked down to see the two preparing for their battle. "To a good battle." They said to each other. They then walked back to their battle boxes, preparing to send out their Pokémon.

Ash took this opportunity to send out Froakie and Fletchling to watch the battle as well. Sama had summoned Pancham out to watch the battle. "Everyone, come on out!" Ash called. The three Pokémon all appeared, preparing to see the upcoming battle.

Chester blinked to see Ash having a Fletchling. "Hey, Ash! I didn't know you had a Fletchling, too!" Chester admitted as the Kanto trainer grinned. "Yeah! Okay, everyone! Let's all cheer for Viola!" Ash called.

Froakie, Pikachu, and Fletchling cried out in agreement as Sama turned to his two Pokémon. "Let's watch those two battle together, alright?" Sama asked. "Chim!" "Pancham Cham!" Chimchar and Pancham cried out.

"The Chateau's Pokémon battle between Duchess Viola and Duke Grant will now commence! Both only need but one more victory! So, whoever wins this battle will ascend to become Grand Duke or Grand Duchess, the highest noble title possible!" The maid explained.

"Alright, Surskit! Let's go!" Viola called. The Pond Skater Pokémon appeared, ready for battle. "It's Surskit!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika!" Pikachu cried out. Grant took out his Pokéball, before he summoned his Pokémon for battle.

"Onix! Let's go!" Grant called. The Snake Rock Pokémon appeared from the Pokéball as Onix roared, facing off against the Water-Bug Type. "Wow! It's huge!" Bonnie exclaimed in awe. Ash was also amazed to see the familiar old Rock Type.

"Onix... That's a Rock Type!" Ash exclaimed. Serena took out her Pokédex, scanning it. "It's amazing!" Serena said in awe._ "__Onix, the Rock Snake Pokémon. Onix takes an enormous amount of soil to its mouth creating long tunnels." _Serena's Pokédex buzzed.

"Begin!" The maid called.

**Grant: Onix VS Viola: Surskit**

"Surskit! Use Ice Beam!" Viola cried. Surskit let out a cry as she froze the field with ice! She then speeded towards Onix much faster than it was on regular ground. Grant only smirked at that speed strategy.

"I thought you'd be using that strategy! Speed may be one of your specialities, but I'll stop you in your tracks! Use Rock Tomb!" Grant yelled. The Rock Snake Pokémon roared, before he summoned boulders. Viola watched as she smiled.

"Yeah? My Surskit can't be stopped that easily than you think!" Viola teased. "Go!" Grant called. At the order, several boulders came falling down, all aiming for Surskit! Surskit struggled to dodge as Ash widened his eyes in surprise.

"What's up with that Rock Tomb!?" Ash exclaimed. "It's controlling those boulders!" Nico pointed out in surprise. "Grant must've trained hard in order to do that..." Chester stated. Yuki and Hawlucha only watched in interest as the battle continued on.

"Grant definitely isn't a normal trainer..." Clemont stated as he adjusted his glasses. At the field, Surskit attempted to dodge, only for the boulders to surround her, with one falling on top of her! "Surskit! Use Bubblebeam!" Viola cried.

Surskit spun around, destroying the surrounding boulders with Bubblebeam, while managing to dodge the last one. But then, as she got out, she was once again surrounded, until the Gym Leader madr her next order. "Use Protect!" Viola yelled.

A barrier protected the Bug Type, preventing her from getting hit once again. She then skated out of the way, skating back to her trainer's side. "Huh... You dodged that well!" Grant complimented. Viola nodded as she called her next attack.

"Now, use Signal Beam!" "Use Flash Cannon!" The two trainers cried. Both Flash Cannon and Signal Beam exploded by colliding against each other, creating a thick of smoke that crowded around the battlefield.

"Get closer!" Viola cried. The Pond Skater Pokémon nodded as she skated towards Onix to get closer, only for Grant to smirk and call out his next move. "Rock Polish, let's go!" Grant cried. Onix roared as he grew charged up with power.

Suddenly, his speed was now equal to Surskit's speed, much to everyone's surprise. "It's getting faster now!" Ash exclaimed in amazement. "Of course... When a Rock Polish is used, the user can get much faster, like Onix is doing right now." Yuki explained.

"Cha..." Hawlucha replied, as he witnessed the intense speed Onix has gained. Froakie, Pikachu, Fletchling, Chimchar, and Pancham were all amazed to see such speed and power as well. But to Viola, this seemed nothing new to her.

"Your speed and power have increased tremendously!" Viola complimented. "You're too kind." Grant teased. At that moment, the Sanatalune Gym Leader called her attacks. "Now, use Ice Beam!" Viola yelled.

The Ice Type attack was shot, freezing part of Onix's tail! The Rock Type grew immobilized for a moment, until Grant made his call. "Onix, jump!" Grant yelled. Onix then jumped into the air, shocking everyone on high how it could jump.

"Whoa! Look at that jump!" Ash exclaimed. Even the Hawlucha Boy and his partner were amazed at the power as well. At the same time, Grant used this opportunity to make the finishing moves. "Now, use Rock Tomb!" Grant called.

Once again, Rock Tomb was activated which once again surrounded Surskit! But this time, due to the small space and increased power, all Surskit could to was look around helplessly as Grant made the finishing touch of the battle.

Viola grits her teeth as Grant makes the order. "It's over. Use Flash Cannon!" Grant yelled. In the air, the Rock Type launched the Flash Cannon attack, blasting Surskit trapped in the rocks as Viola gasped to see her Pokémon blasted by the attack.

"Surskit, no!" Viola yelled. But as the smoke has cleared, Surskit was groaning, unconscious from the heavy blows she had taken from the Flash Cannon attack. Onix landed on the ground and roared in triumph as the maid called the battle off.

"That's it! And Onix is the winning Pokémon!" The maid declared. The Santalune Gym Leader could only smile as she returned her Pond Skater Pokémon back to its Pokéball. "Surskit, you were wonderful." Viola praised.

**Winner: Grant**

She then walked up to Grant as he did the same. They said their thanks and bowed to each other, before Viola smiled. "You battled well! You win and you're the Grand Duke now!" Viola complimented, causing Grant to chuckle.

"Well... It's all because of Onix's hard work! Onix earned it, and it gets all the credit!" Grant chuckled, petting Onix, who smiled with pride and triumph. At the terrace, Ash and his three Pokémon were amazed on how strong Grant was.

"Awesome..." Ash replied in amazement. "Pika..." "Froakie..." Pikachu and Froakie agreed. Chimchar grew nervous as Pancham grew interested. The Hawlucha Boy only smiled lightly before he turned to Hawlucha.

"Looks like we found ourselves a new opponent, Hawlucha." Yuki stated. "Haw cha." Hawlucha agreed, with folded arms and a grin. The others were amazed as Sama made the first comment. "Look how he controlled Rock Tomb..." Sama breathed out.

"Not just that, its moves combined with its ease of getting around make it unbelievable!" Clemont commented. "And strong, too!" Bonnie added. "They're in a league of their own! I never would've guessed!" Serena admitted.

**That evening...**

Most of the trainers were heading home, and so was Grant. Using this chance to ask Grant, Ash ran up to the man, calling for him. "Grant?" Ash called. The man blinked, turning to see the group, Sama, Nico, and Chester.

"Someday, I want to raise my rank up high just so that I could battle with you!" Ash declared as Yuki stepped up. "I'd like to battle with you someday soon, Grant, if it's okay with you." Yuki replied. "Pika Pika!" "Lucha! Haw cha!" Pikachu and Hawlucha agreed.

Viola walked up besides him as Sama said his words as well. "Um... I'd like to have a battle with you someday, too! But before that, I will train hard in order to battle you someday, Grant!" Sama declared as the two brothers said it as well.

"Me too! Now I've got one more goal!" Nico added. "I lost today, but tomorrow I'll win!" Chester added along. Grant let out a chuckle, making a reminder to everyone. "It's a tough climb. But I'll be here." Grant assured.

He then blinked before he turned to Ash, Yuki, and Sama. "Oh, that's right! I've been told that you three have been challenging several Gyms?" Grant asked, as the three boys responded to the question. "That's right!" Ash exclaimed.

"That goes for me too..." Sama shyly answered. "That's right, but... Why do you ask, Grant?" Yuki asked. "Well then, you three, it looks like we'll be battling back at the Gym before we battle right here!" Grant assured, causing Yuki to widen his eyes.

Ash and Sama were confused, as well as everyone else, except for Yuki and Viola. "You see, Grant is the Cyllage City Gym Leader!" Viola explained. That shocked everyone, while leaving Yuki and Sama speechless, along with Chimchar, Pancham, and Hawlucha.

"You're the Cyllage City Gym Leader!?" Serena shrieked. "That's the Gym that both Ash and Yuki are going to next!" Clemont exclaimed, pushing himself between Ash, Sama, and Serena. "That's why you're so strong!" Nico exclaimed.

"Two Gym Leaders battling each other, wow!" Chester exclaimed. Sama pushed Clemont's head down, accidentally knocking his glasses down as he widened his eyes. "Does this mean you're a Rock Type user, since you've used Onix?" Sama asked.

Grant, Viola, and Yuki all sweat dropped as the Cyllage Gym Leader chuckled. "Uh... Yes... You're all right!" Grant responded. After the struggle was done, Ash smiled, knowing what kind of challenge he might face.

"A Rock Type Gym..." Ash repeated. "Ash, Yuki, Sama, your Pikachu, Hawlucha, and Chimchar are all pretty strong. So, I'll be looking forward for the three of you to come to my Gym and challenge me someday!" Grant explained.

"Right!" Ash agreed. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. "I'll do my best to try and win, Grant!" Sama assured. "Chim Chimchar!" "Pancham Cham Cham!" Pancham and Chimchar cried out their determination.

"We'll go all out as well, Grant. So don't expect an easy win from any of us!" Yuki assured. "Ha ha! I won't be expecting easy wins, that's for sure. So, until we meet again, then." Grant chuckled. He then left the room, leaving everyone else watching him leave.

As he left, Serena gave a reminder to both Ash and Yuki. "You two will need to come up with a strategy to counter that Rock Tomb if you both want to have that badge! That includes you too, Sama." Serena reminded.

"Yeah, we'll be ready! We'll be training like there is no tomorrow!" Ash assured. "Pika Pika!" "Froakie!" "Fletchling Fletch!" Ash's team all agreed, as they prepared for the hard training they expect to get for tomorrow.

Hawlucha folded his arms, taking a deep breath, before he smirked. "Yeah... We'll be ready for tomorrow as well." Yuki agreed. Soon, after saying their farewells to Viola, the group moved out back at the Battle Chateau's entrance.

"Nico... Chester, thanks so much for showing us this awesome place!" Ash thanked. "No worries, yo!" Nico chuckled, saying his praise once again. "Good luck with your Gym battles, yo yo!" Chester added, chuckling.

"Here we go with the yos again..." Serena grumbled as Chester smirked. "Yo yo, they're contagious!" Chester teased, causing the Vaniville girl to cover her mouth from saying it again. Nico cleared his throat, making his declaration.

"We'll be stronger the next time we meet, you all will be looking with your two eyes the two new Dukes, yo baby yo!" Nico assured with a grin. "Look forward to it, yo!" Chester warned. Ash and Yuki both nodded together as Sama smiled nervously.

"Yeah! I'll be a lot stronger the next time, too! So, see you then!" Ash assured. "That goes for us, too. Don't expect us to be the same." Yuki added. "Pika Pika!" "Haw cha!" Pikachu and Hawlucha agreed together.

So, the group parted with the two brothers, and walked with Sama, before they walked up to the fork again. "Guess this is my stop, too. I'm going back to Shalour City for a bit so I can train there! I hope to see you all once again!" Sama assured.

"Sure thing, Sama. Let's have another battle someday, the next time we meet." Yuki suggested. "Sounds perfect to me! Chimchar, Pancham, and I will be training hard!" Sama assured. So, as he said that, he said his goodbye, leaving the group.

The four trainers and Bonnie all waved back, before they continued their way to head for Cyllage City.

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 35: Yuki VS Serena!? The Film of Bond!**

**Chapter 36: The Bond to Mystery and Love!**

**Chapter 37: A Golden Magikarp Legend!**

**Chapter 38: New Task! Catch Golden Magikarp!**

**Chapter 39: Come Play With Us, Amaura!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Serena: They say here that you can post a PokéVision video here! I've just got to try it! Everyone, I'll need your help for our first one!

Yuki: A video to post? I'm not sure about this... You sure you know what you're doing? Because it all seems a disaster right now.

Serena: That's because you're not doing it right! You're supposed to do these things the right way! Can't you be a help at all!?

Yuki: You're one to talk! I'm more into battling and training, not getting ready to make some video for you!

Clemont: Hold on, you two! Calm down! This is no time to be picking a fight now!

Ash: Man... Yuki and Serena... Just what's up with the two of you? Don't get mad at each other!


	35. Yuki VS Serena! The Film of Bond!

**Chapter 35: Yuki VS Serena!? The Film of Bond!**

"Welcome back to PokéVision Lives! For more rankings, we reached rank four on the top ten!" The news figure announced, representing the fourth best video. It showed a man with an Onix, both surviving the harsh blizzard in a snowy mountain.

"And... It's Snow-Capped Onix!" The news figure presented. The four trainers and Bonnie were at the Pokémon Center right now, heading for Cyllage City for Ash and Yuki's second Kalos Gym battle and to face Grant, the Cyllage Gym Leader there.

While they were taking a break, they discovered the new PokéVision show, showing the top ten ranking of each PokéVision video. "Never seen PokéVision before!" Ash admitted. Serena giggled at that, before explaining to the Kanto trainer.

"That's amazing, since everybody knows about it!" Serena giggled. "PokéVision refers to videos that's created by trainers themselves!" Clemont explained. Yuki gave a thought as he kept looking at the clips given.

"That's so cool! I wish I knew what that meant, though..." Ash chuckled nervously, leaving the others to sweat-drop. Back at the clips, the news showed the other top three shows of PokéVision. "And next, we bring you video number three! Which is... Psyduck at twilight!" The news figure announced.

The next video showed a lonely Psyduck looking at the sunset with no movement as it looked satisfied to see the sunset, which would soon become twilight.

Serena made another explanation about this show as she sighed. "PokéVision is a way for trainers to introduce their Pokémon!" Serena explained. Bonnie squealed at the sight of Psyduck. "Psyduck is such a cutie-pie!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"Next... Number two! The Beauty of Joy!" The news figure announced. The next video showed Nurse Joy and her Wigglytuff running together in a lovely meadow as Serena continued on. "It can even show the bond between trainers and Pokémon like this video!" Serena explained.

"You see, trainers upload their videos in an online site, and the PokéVision top ten is based on the viewer's rankings they receive!" Clemont explained. That seemed to make the Kanto trainer understand much more as he grew amazed.

"And now, it's time for this week's video number one! Aria and Fennekin's life of an idol!" The news figure announced. The next video showed a girl who looked like an idol, along with a Fennekin, causing Bonnie's eyes to shine.

"I knew Aria would be number one!" Bonnie exclaimed. "Dedenne!" Dedenne agreed, amazed with the view as well. "After those two had a top ten series of PokéVision shows, they became a pop duo and became Pokémon superstars!" Clemont explained.

The clip showed Aria and her Fennekin dancing around and singing in a stage, as they winked to the viewers. At the winking, Chespin let out a loving cry, feeling in love with the Fennekin in the video.

As for Serena's Fennekin, she began to pout, seeing how famous that Fennekin was, when she was just a trainer's Pokémon. "So cute!" Bonnie squealed out loud. "Dedenne!" Dedenne cried out. Ash grinned and seemed to agree.

"You know, Bonnie... That is a cute... Fennekin!" Ash agreed, causing Serena to sigh in relief. "I think Ash gets it!" Bonnie giggled, as Serena smiled along. "You know what? I think my Fennekin may be cute any day!" Serena assured, as she held her Fire Type in her arms.

"For sure! And at least you're cute as Aria is!" Bonnie assured. "Bonnie, that's so sweet!" Serena giggled in thanks. "Fen!" Fennekin yipped with content. "..." Yuki once again remained silent as Hawlucha tapped his fingers on his arms, while they were folded.

"Yuki, are you okay? You haven't spoken once while we were talking about this!" Serena asked. The Hawlucha Boy blinked, before he let out a small smile. "H-Huh? Oh, sorry... I'm not used to seeing PokéVision like this..." Yuki explained.

"Lucha Hawlucha..." Hawlucha sighed, folding his arms. "What do you mean?" Clemont asked, as Bonnie and Ash grew curious before. "I mean, this is the first time that I've ever seen PokéVision before, since I don't know on how to film." Yuki explained.

"Haw..." Hawlucha agreed, nodding. "Never!? Is this really your first time seeing PokéVision!?" Serena shrieked, while Fennekin blinked in surprise. "Right... I don't use computers or online websites to track these types of programs down..." Yuki explained.

"That's understandable. You said that you trained with Hawlucha at Aquacorde Forest for about two years, so you must have not been able to see PokéVision in live before!" Clemont stated, understanding Yuki's ways of living.

The Hawlucha Boy nervously nodded as the Lumiose Gym Leader made another point to the group. "You know, I'm pretty sure you can rent all the equipment you need to make PokéVision videos right here!" Clemont explained.

"Really!?" Bonnie exclaimed in surprise. That got Serena excited as she got up. "Perfect! So, I'll make my debut PokéVision video!" Serena declared. Fennekin let out a yip of agreement while the others watched her with a smile.

**[Pokémon: XY Volt Opening (English Subbed)]**

(Pikachu was shown kissing the screen until he ran with Ash, Yuki, and Hawlucha)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying,**_

(A scene showed a route crossroad, with Meowstic and a group of Swirlix floating by)

_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark, **_

(A grassfield where Vivillon, and Swanna groups are flying at a nearby town)

(Underwater where Water Type were swimming underwater)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were seeing a town from a bridge view)

_**Ice, Normal, Fighting, Fire,**_

(A flower field shows; a group of macarons show; a rainy night shows)

_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy,**_

(The group runs along the route in the city)

_**Come on, from here on out it's an adventure and there's only light ahead**_

(Ash's blue background show him and Pikachu sharing sandwiches together)

_**The sky overflows with a rain of tears but we push through**_

(Serena's pink background show her picking a hat, while Fennekin happily runs around her)

_**Come on, use your courage to be better than you were yesterday**_

(Clemont's blue and yellow background show him inventing a machine before it explodes, while Bonnie runs with Dedenne and Chespin)

_**Treasure any encounter  
****  
Heart's pounding, Challenger!**_

(Yuki's green background shows him and Hawlucha sparring with each other, while Litleo, Heracross, and Bulbasaur cheers)

_**Someday, my dream will be fulfilled **_

(Ash, Yuki, Hawlucha, and Pikachu were running only to be blocked by a huge cliff)

(Silhouettes of Kalos Gym Leaders shine in front of the two)

_**That's what you have taught me, and that's why I travel**_

(Serena place a hand on Ash's left shoulder, Clemont places a hand on Yuki's right shoulder, Bonnie grabs the two's hands together)

(The group runs to the field on their journey)

_**As the red ring of bonds spreads far and wide**_

**_I'll definitely reach out to everyone with this energy I suddenly feel_**

(Ash and Yuki make attack calls; Pikachu and Hawlucha fights and defeat the trainers' Honedge and Pangoro)

_**This blue planet of ours is shining with hope**_

(Clemont calls for attacks; Chespin uses Pin Missile, and Bunnelby uses Dig)

(Bonnie cheers, as Dedenne uses Thundershock)

(Serena calls for an attack; Fennekin uses Ember)

(Yuki calls for attacks; Bulbasaur uses Razor Leaf, Litleo uses Ember, Heracross uses Megahorn, and Hawlucha uses Karate Chop)

_**The yellow flowers bloom**_

(Ash calls for attacks: Froakie uses Water Pulse, Fletchling uses Steel Wing, as Pikachu uses Electro Ball)

(A Mega Evolution sign appears; Mega Lucario roars, sending huge power)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying**_  
_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark**_  
_**Ice, Normal, Fire, Fighting**_  
_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy**_

(Xerneas and Yvetal appears; The Japanese opening title appears)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie smile at the viewers with their Pokémon)

**(Title opening ends)**

"I always knew that I'd make a PokéVision video! If I ever got a Pokémon, that is..." Serena giggled, feeling excited for her debut. After asking Nurse Joy where the equipment might be, Serena was excited to make her video debut in the PokéVision program.

"I want one with Dedenne!" Bonnie cried out. Clemont sighed, smiling sadly at her sister. "Bonnie, I think you forgotten that Dedenne isn't your Pokémon..." Clemont reminded, causing his little sister to pout, seeing that it was unfair for her to be left out.

"Alright! Then I guess I just have to make a video to find a wife for you!" Bonnie giggled mischievously, causing the Lumiose Gym Leader to panic. "What... Huh!?" Clemont exclaimed in shock. "That's going too far... Your brother doesn't want that, so why even bother?" Yuki reminded.

"Because he can't take care of himself! That's why I want to make a video for big brother in order to find a wife for him!" Bonnie answered, causing both Yuki and Hawlucha to sweat drop. "That's still going too far..." "Haw cha..." The Fighting duo said together in unison.

Serena turned to both Ash and Yuki with her request. "Ash, Yuki... Could you help me with mine?" Serena asked. Ash smiled in an apologetic look, making his reason. "The thing is, I want to do some special training so I could be ready for my battle with Grant!" Ash explained.

"Really?" Serena asked. "Yeah... That goes for me, too... Besides, Hawlucha and I don't know a thing about editing or among a video." Yuki added. "Hawlucha..." Hawlucha agreed with folded arms. Without him noticing, Fennekin whimpered softly, seeing that Hawlucha wouldn't be able to help.

"Right! If we don't have a move together to counter Onix's Rock Tomb, there's no way we can win!" Ash explained. "Yeah... That's another reason... You saw how Grant was easily able to beat Viola with the Rock Tomb combination, right?" Yuki added, causing Serena to frown a bit.

Clemont seemed to agree as well. "Special training would be a logical choice." Clemont stated. "Right!" "Of course..." The two boys agreed. "Pika!" "Hawlucha!" Pikachu and Hawlucha agreed together. Bonnie giggled at that, seeing how determined her two friends were.

"You two are really psyched!" Bonnie pointed out. "Well then... Maybe the rest of you can help me, then!" Serena suggested. "Sure!" Bonnie agreed. Even Chespin seemed eager to make a video for himself as well. So, with that said, Yuki and Ash left for some special training.

Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie left to the other parts of the Pokémon Center in order to get some video equipments for PokéVision. "After you finish shooting all the video footage you need, simply bring it back here and we'll do all the necessary editing, and create a soundtrack as well!" The man explained.

"That would be a big help!" Serena stated. "I could even do a video, too!" Bonnie added. Clemont gave a grunt as he held most of the equipments on his shoulder. "Now... I think I can be most helpful when in behind the scenes!" Clemont assured. Bonnie was annoyed at that.

"No way! You'll be the most help if we make you a big star!" Bonnie scolded, causing Clemont to sweat drop. "But... I don't want to be a star! And didn't you hear what Yuki said!? Making a video for me to find a wife is just going too far!" Clemont reminded,

"What Yuki said doesn't matter! You're still going to film no matter what!" Bonnie snapped, ignoring what the Hawlucha Boy had said earlier. The man cleared his throat, as he explained where all the dresses and costumes were for the videos.

"We also have the wardrobe department you could use!" The man explained. "That'll be perfect!" Serena exclaimed. "Yeah! I can't wait!" Bonnie added. So, with that said, Serena and Bonnie headed towards the wardrobe department where they prepared to make a video for Clemont and Serena.

The Lumiose Gym Leader frowned, seeing his little sister wouldn't let him talk out of the show. Serena was one section for the costumes as she tried to pick something out. "Let's see... Which one for my video?..." Serena asked as she and Fennekin looked around.

Suddenly, a girl approached her without noticing, and accidentally bumped into her! Both girls shrieked as they fell back to the ground. "Eek! Ow..." Serena groaned as she held her head. Fennekin yelped before she growled at the girl that bumped into her trainer.

The other girl gasped and ran over to help the Vaniville girl up. "Oh my! Are you okay!?" The girl asked. Fennekin stopped growling as the new girl seemed to be wanting to help her trainer. Serena shook her head as the girl offered her hand to her. Serena took it as the girl got her back up.

"I'm so sorry! Are you alright?!" The girl asked. "Y-Yeah... I'm fine. Thank you." Serena thanked. The girl nodded back as she smiled. Serena smiled back, before she blinked in surprise. This girl looked a lot familiar like Yuki, but in a feminine way.

She had long, dark brown hair and black eyes. She wore a black sleeveless shirt, with her gray vest on. She even wore a red and white-striped skirt, along with black shoes. She seemed to be a shy looking trainer, but a tough looking one at the same time.

"Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." The girl asked. Serena blinked, before shaking her head. "Huh? Oh no... I'm fine. My name is Serena." Serena explained. "My name is Haruna. Nice to meet you!" The girl, Haruna greeted. That was until a boy called for her.

"Hey, Haruna! We need to go, now!" A boy called out. Haruna blinked, before she nodded, "I'm coming, Ryuto! You don't need to be so impatient!" Haruna scolded as she prepared to run after the boy. "Sorry to leave so suddenly, Serena. If you'll excuse me..." Haruna apologized.

She then ran off, with Serena nodding in acceptance. Soon, Haruna left with another boy, much to Serena's surprise, who looked a lot like Yuki, similar with Haruna. He had the same eye color and hair color, but wore a white jacket, black boots, gray jeans, and he had a black informal fedora.

By the time she saw the boy, who she thought was Ryuto, she was speechless. "Those two... looked just like Yuki... But why?" Serena asked as Fennekin frowned, seeing her trainer confused. "Serena! We're all ready now!" Bonnie called out. The Vaniville girl blinked, before she called back.

"Okay! I'm coming!" Serena cried. She picked out a few outfits before she ran back to meet up with Clemont and Bonnie. Later, it was decided that Clemont would make the first video, despite his protest. Serena stood by Fennekin, having the camera ready to record.

"We're all ready to roll!" Serena replied. Clemont stood right in front of the camera by three feet, with Chespin and Bunnelby at his side. Chespin tried to smile as positive as he could. Bunnelby started to get a little frightened of being in video, just like his trainer was.

As for the Lumiose Gym Leader, he was frozen in place, not being able to move, due to the frights he have when taking a video. "Then, let's go!" Bonnie called, ready to film. "Chespin pin!" Chespin agreed, as he was ready to be filmed. With everything done, Bonnie called for the first shot.

"Scene one! And... action!" Bonnie called. With the start, Clemont started to get very shaky and nervous. "... Uh... Uh... Hello there... I'm... Clemont... And... this is..." Clemont started. Suddenly, before he could finish, Chespin suddenly jumped in front of his trainer!

He seemed pumped up for being recorded in the video. "No, no! Cut, cut!" Bonnie shrieked, ending the first scene. "Chespin! You're too far out front! And Clemont! You need more energy! Your voice is getting softer and softer!" Bonnie snapped angrily.

That seemed to hit Clemont down to the pit before he tried to reason with his little sister. "I told you... I'm not good at this sort of thing, so why can't we make Serena's already?!" Clemont complained. Bonnie out her hands on her hips, annoyed at her brother's complaints.

That was when an idea popped into Serena's thoughts. "Hey, I've got an idea! Talk for him, Bonnie!" Serena suggested. "You mean, speak his lines?" Bonnie asked, confused. "Mm hm! You see, we'll be hearing your voice instead of Clemont's." Serena started.

Bonnie nodded along as the Vaniville girl continued. "Then all Clemont has to do is match his lips to everything that you say!" Serena concluded. That seemed to have gotten the little sister all fired up. "Oh! That might work! Yeah! Let's give it a try!" Bonnie agreed.

So, with everything decided, it was for Bonnie to say Clemont's lines and words. "Alright! Take two! Action!" Serena called. As Clemont was about to open his mouth, Bonnie started saying her brother's lines. Like before, Chespin was excited while Bunnleby was stiff.

"Hello there... My name's Clemont. I'd like you to meet my partners, Chespin! And Bunnelby!" Bonnie explained, mimicking her brother's voice. Chespin and Bunnelby all responded to Bonnie's call, as the video went on, much to Clemont's embarrassment.

"Argh! I can't stand this kind of video!" Clemont groaned. He fell onto his back, unable to take this recording. The video was already finished, as his little sister tried to comfort him. "Don't worry! We'll edit everything later, and then, we'll make it perfect!" Bonnie assured.

For Serena, she was excited to have herself and Fennekin to make their debut. "Now it's time for our video debut!" Serena giggled, making her wink to Fennekin. The little Fire Type nodded with a smile, wanting to become famous as well.

Later, Fennekin was wearing a small part of Serena's hat as the Vaniville girl planned to make her video debut. "First, take a shot of me and Fennekin running through the field!" Serena replied, making her plans. "Okay!" Bonnie agreed. She set up the camera, only for Clemont to intervene.

"It looks like that's my cue! Because the future is now, thanks to science! Ckemontic Gear, on!" Clemont called. He threw off the tarp that covered his newest invention, revealing a camera that had legs, along with the other video editing tools.

"I thought we would encounter a situation, precisely like this one! I call it, the PokéStar Shooter!" Clemont declared. "PokéStar Shooter?" Serena repeated in confusion. "Boring..." Bonnie sighed in disappointment as she didn't get the name for the invention.

"My camera-equipped mobile tripod robot can provide fixed shots, mobile shots, or even crane shots as highest quality as PokéStar Studios! The movie capital of the world! This device will make you shine like stars! Device on!" Clemont assured.

He activated his invention, turning it on. The camera invention began to move, walking towards Serena and Fennekin. It lowered down a little, before it got above the Vaniville girl. "Low angle... High angle! Zoom in!" Clemont called. Both Serena and Fennekin were startled at this as Clemont smirked.

"You're witnessing movie perfection!" Clemont assured as Serena laughed nervously. "I guess science really is amazing, just like Ash said!" Serena chuckled nervously. Fennekin only scoffed, turning her head away with dislike of the sudden idea.

"I guess this could be your first big hit in a while! Way to go, big brother!" Bonnie complimented. With that said, Clemont activated the machine to start the filming. "Alright! Now to take a shot of Serena and Fennekin running through the field!" Clemont called.

"We're ready!" Serena called. "Fennekin!" The Fire Type yipped. "Alright... Action!" Clemont called. The machine then began to film as the Vaniville girl and her Fire Type began to run. They started to run happily through the field, enjoying the view.

Suddenly, the machine started to run for the two, much to their surprise. Clemont and Bonnie were surprised as well, as the Lumiose Gym Leader tried to stop his invention. "What happened!? It's out of control... Ah!" Clemont panicked.

He tried to turn off the machine, only for the controls to be broken! The buttons popped out, causing Clemont to panic even more. "Ah! Get away as fast as you can!" Clemont yelled. With that said, both Serena and Fennekin shire led as they tried to make a run for it.

Meanwhile, both Ash and Yuki were at the top of another hill, where they plan to have some special training against Grant and his Onix's Rock Tomb. "If we're gonna stand a chance against Onix's Rock Tomb, we'll need a lot of speed!" Ash explained.

He turned to his three Pokémon, Pikachu, Froakie, and Fletchling. "Pikachu can use Quick Attack, and Froakie and Fletchling's Double Team attacks will make it harder to hit! We'll get your moves in tip top shape, and stop that Rock Tomb!" Ash explained.

For Yuki, he was more into fighting off against the Rock Tomb, while using it to backfire the combination. "While Ash is doing speed, why don't we find a way to make the Rock Tomb backfire against Grant and Onix! That way, the battle would be much easier for us to win!" Yuki suggested.

Hawlucha, Bulbasaur, Litleo, and Heracross cheered along, as they were ready to train. "Rock Tomb is controlled by Onix, so it won't be easy to counter where it might land, but once we predict where it might land well enough, there's a chance that victory will go to our grasp!" Yuki explained.

He folded his arms, making thoughts, while his four Pokémon made some thoughts as well. "Let's get moving! Come on!" Ash's voice called out. The Hawlucha Boy and his four Pokémon turned to see Ash and his three Pokémon running along the field.

"There they go... Might as well follow them and see what might come to our minds!" Yuki suggested. His four Pokémon cried out their agreements as they all began to follow the Kanto trainer and his three Pokémon. As they were all running, they found a problem as they ran.

It was Serena, Fennekin, Clemont, and Bonnie! They seemed to be running from Clemont's out of control video machine. Ash found it interesting while Yuki found it serious and surprising. "Looks like it's one of Clemont's inventions at work! Science is really amazing, isn't it?" Ash asked.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. "I don't think that's the problem right now..." Yuki reminded, as Serena let out a shriek. "It's NOT amazing!" Serena shrieked. "My device... is out of control!" Clemont panted. "Ash! Yuki! Do something!" Bonnie cried desperately.

This time, the Kanto trainer seemed to get the situation, as he nodded. "Right! Don't worry! Pikachu, aim for the robot and use Electro Ball!" Ash called. Yuki frowned as the Electric Type shot into the air and launched an Electro Ball towards the out of control robot.

The attack exploded on the robot, but it involved Serena and Fennekin in the explosion as well! Both of them were covered in black soot, much to their shock. "*cough* *cough*... Now look at me! I'm covered head to toe with black soot!" Serena complained.

Yuki sweat dropped as the Kanto trainer blinked in surprise and confusion. "But I thought you wanted to me to help out!" Ash retorted in surprise. Despite of him saying that, Fennekin angrily shot an Ember attack on Pikachu, who dodged!

It headed straight for Ash as he yelped, dodging as well, causing the Ember attack ended up hitting both Yuki and Hawlucha! They both yelped as they were blasted by the attack, now covered in black soot as well. "Gah... Argh... What was that for!?" Yuki snapped angrily.

Serena smiled apologetically, while trying to explain. "Uh... If you remember, Fennekin likes to stay clean!" Serena reminded. The Fire Type blinked in surprise that she actually hit Hawlucha, but her wish to stay clean overpowered her shock as she gave a scoff.

"That doesn't give you the right to just suddenly attack us like that! You really need to control that Fennekin of yours, Serena!" Yuki chided. "Excuse me!? It's not my fault that Fennekin attacked for being so dirty!" Serena retorted, only for Yuki to glare back.

"I don't care what the reason was! That was completely uncalled for and really disruptive as well!" Yuki snapped back, as Hawlucha started to get annoyed with both Serena and Fennekin. "Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha snapped, shocking the little Fire Type.

"Fen! Fennekin!" Fennekin shrieked back, causing an argument between Yuki and Serena, followed by Hawlucha and Fennekin. Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie all sweat dropped at this, followed by Ash's Pokémon and Yuki's other Pokémon. "Uh oh..." Bonnie groaned.

"Shouldn't we stop them?" Clemont asked. Ash sighed, before smiling nervously. "They might make up... I think..." Ash assured, while being unsure at the same time. Later, both trainers and their starters cleaned up, as the Vaniville girl and Fennekin wore new outfits!

"Here I am!" Serena giggled. "Fennekin!" Fennekin cried along. Serena was wearing Fennekin ears and a tail, along with a Fennekin feet boots, followed by a pink dress, while having a pink bow on top of her head. Fennekin wore the same as well, matching their outfits together.

Clemont, Bonnie, and both all of Ash and Yuki's Pokémon, except Hawlucha were in awe to see the two in matching outfits. For Yuki, he was still annoyed by the fact that he was hit with Ember when he and Hawlucha didn't do anything. Even his partner felt the same.

"See how the Fennekin ears and tail gives the outfit its charm?" Serena asked, showing off her Fennekin ears and tail parts. Bonnie seemed to agree as she let out a squeal. "So cute! Hey, Ash! Yuki! Please help us with the video!" Bonnie pleaded, turning to the two boys.

"But, we've got special training to do..." Ash reminded. "Furthermore, we didn't even to get to start our training, no thanks to Serena and Fennekin's dirty and cleaning problem." Yuki scoffed, causing Serena and Fennekin to both pout. Serena then shrugged it off with a sigh.

"Sometimes, taking a break can go a long way if you two focus on your training!" Serena reminded. Her sweet talk began to annoy the Hawlucha Boy, while the Kanto trainer finally gave in. With Pikachu and his two other Pokémon agreeing, how could he refuse?

"I guess you're right..." Ash agreed nervously. "YAY!" Both Serena and Bonnie cheered as Clemont made his choice. "From now on, I'll be manning the camera!" Clemont declared. Bonnie then turned to the Hawlucha Boy with the same request. "Yuki, can you help, too?" Bonnie asked.

The Hawlucha Boy was about to refuse, until his mouth did the work. "Ugh... Fine... But only in one or two shots..." Yuki sighed. "Lucha Haw..." Hawlucha grumbled, realizing that he had to be forced into this video editing part as well.

So, with that agreed, Serena and Fennekin made their first video together, with Serena imitating as a Fennekin. "Fennekin!" Serena cried, her voice acting like Fennekin. Her Fire Type followed along, enjoying this moment. "Fennekin!" Fennekin cried.

**Later...**

The group was now in the kitchen, where Serena plans to make a new scene. "The next scene will be Serena and Fennekin baking goodies together!" Clemont explained. Just then, the Vaniville girl came into the room with Pikachu and Fennekin at her side.

"Ta-da! Notice, we're wearing matching aprons, and Pikachu even has a cameo role!" Serena explained, present in herself and the two Pokémon. "Pikachu..." The Electric Type chuckled nervously. He was a bit embarrassed that he has to wear an apron as well, since it was pink.

Hawlucha snickered a little, while Yuki felt dull. "Can we just get this over with?" Yuki grumbled. The Vaniville girl gave a small glare to the Hawlucha Boy before she and the two Pokémon went to the other side of table, ready to make some goodies and sweets.

"Are we ready to roll?" Clemont asked. "All set!" Serena assured. "And... action!" Clemont called. The second film began as Serena started to mix the dough and cream, making the mix creamy. Fennekin was eager to try it as Pikachu held a bowl of sugar powder.

"Pikachu! Powdered sugar, please!" Serena called. Pikachu nodded as he held the bowl on top of his head, before walking over to Serena and Fennekin. However, as he tried to give the sugar to Fennekin, he slipped, much to his startle and Fennekin's shock.

The sugar flew everywhere, covering both the Electric Type and the Fire Type. As the sugar dust cleared, Pikachu panicked, knowing how the Fox Pokémon liked to stay clean. For being filthy once again, Fennekin angrily glared at Pikachu for making her dirty once again.

"FENNEKIN!" Fennekin screamed, furious at the Electric Type. "Ah! We're sorry, Fennekin!" Ash apologized. However, despite of the apology, Fennekin was still furious, causing her to shoot another Ember attack towards Pikachu! It missed, which instead blasted on Yuki and Hawlucha!

"GAH!" "CHA!" The Fighting duo yelped. Everyone gasped in surprise, as both Yuki and Hawlucha were covered in soot now. "Uh... Yuki?" Serena called, as the Hawlucha Boy angrily glared at both Serena and Fennekin, furious at the two for making another uncalled attack.

"Okay... This time, I'm serious! You really need to control this spoiled Fennekin of yours, Serena!" Yuki snapped angrily, as the Vaniville girl glared back. "I'm not the one who caused Fennekin to be dirty or forced her to attack! That was Pikachu!" Serena retorted.

"Hold on! Are you saying then this is Pikachu's fault!?" Ash exclaimed in shock, causing Serena to widen her eyes. "Huh!? No! That's not..." Serena started, only for the Hawlucha Boy to interrupt. "I don't care who started this... It was Fennekin's Ember that struck us!" Yuki snapped.

"Hawlucha! Haw cha! Haw!" Hawlucha snapped angrily, blaming Fennekin for the mess. That offended the Fox Pokémon greatly as she yipped angrily back at her former crush. "Fennekin! Fen!" "Hawlucha Haw!" Fennekin and Hawlucha kept on arguing, much to the other's worry.

"See!? Hawlucha has made Fennekin upset! You're the one that needs to control your Pokémon!" Serena shrieked. "Shut up! At least I'm not the one who freaks out about getting filthy and clean all the time!" Yuki retorted, slamming his hands on the table.

"Look what happened to poor Fennekin!" "Look what happened to Hawlucha!" The two snapped back again. Ash, Pikachu, Clemont, and Bonnie were both bewildered, seeing that the argument was happening once again. "Oh no... Here we go again." Bonnie groaned.

"Ugh! I don't know how you became famous, when you're blaming me for something that I didn't do!" Serena snapped. "I'm blaming you for not controlling your Pokémon! You and Fennekin are always angry for no reason! You could easily get cleaned when the dirty work is over!" Yuki retorted.

"Well, Fennekin doesn't appreciate the dirty things, so she just won't take it!" Serena snapped back. "I don't care what she doesn't like! What your Pokémon did was again completely uncalled for and unacceptable!" Yuki retorted, getting more angrier than ever.

"Fennekin! Fen! Kin!" Fennekin snapped at Hawlucha as the Wrestling Pokemon argued back. "Hawlucha Haw! Hawlucha cha!" Hawlucha retorted. The two arguments grew larger, as the others sighed. "Come on! Serena, quit fighting!" "Yuki, calm down!" Ash and Clemont called together.

They tried to end the arguments, which took a long time. Finally, after prying them apart, Yuki remained furious at the Vaniville girl, as he refused to help with the filming, while Serena refused to speak or look to the Hawlucha Boy for a while. She even thought up ugly names to say!

Hawlucha and Fennekin were the same as their trainers. Like Yuki, Hawlucha refused to help with the video anymore, while Fennekin thought up ugly names for Hawlucha, while refusing to speak or look at the Wrestling Pokémon at the same time.

This made the video editing harder, which took a toll for Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie. Finally, after some filming, they took a break, while Serena brushed Fennekin's fur to make her feel better. "It looks like Fennekin's not mad anymore!" Ash chuckled, seeing Fennekin satisfied now.

"Staying clean sure makes Fennekin happy!" Bonnie giggled. "Fennekin's always busy grooming because getting dirty is so upsetting!" Serena explained. "I guess you're a bit like that too, Serena! Just as Yuki says..." Clemont chuckled.

At hearing the Hawlucha Boy's name, Serena frowned. "Could we not talk about that right now? And you're right about one thing... Like Fennekin, I love to keep clean! I like to look my best, so good grooming is always a must, unlike some guy..." Serena giggled, before she taunted Yuki in the end.

"That proves how much spoiled you two are... You don't take a journey very seriously, when they can make trainers dirty sometime. Unlike some girl who hates traveling in forests and camping outside..." Yuki taunted back, causing the Vaniville girl to glare at him.

"Say that again, Mr. Bigmouth!?" Serena shrieked. "I know what you are, but what am I, little freak!?" Yuki snapped back. The others groaned, seeing that the third argument was about to begin. Fortunately, Hawlucha and Fennekin just turned away from each other, annoyed with each other.

**Later...**

"And... cut!" Clemont called. The group was finishing the last scene they need for Serena's PokéVision video. "We've got everything we need!" Ash stated. "So now we'll go to that nice man to edit it all for us!" Bonnie cried out.

Yuki yawned, seeing how boring the filming was, while doing nothing. "About time... Can we get going now?" Yuki yawned, as Clemont chuckled nervously. "Sure... We just need to get this video edited, and it'll be all done!" Clemont assured.

"Oh man... Finally! After that, I can go back to my training now!" Ash grunted with a grin. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. "Haw..." Hawlucha yawned along, impatient for the video to be finished. "So! Shall we go, then?" Clemont asked. "You bet!" "Okay!" Ash and Bonnie agreed.

They followed Clemont with Serena and Yuki following behind, with the Vaniville girl still in her dress. "Spoiled brat... How pathetic." Yuki thought. "Ugly brute... I can't wait to show him off with my video!" Serena thought angrily.

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Tackle, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 36: The Bond to Memory and Love!**

**Chapter 37: A Golden Magikarp Legend!**

**Chapter 38: New Task! Catch Golden Magikarp!**

**Chapter 39: Come Play With Us, Amaura!**

**Chapter 40: The Rescue! Amaura in Danger!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Serena: Fine! If you don't want to help me edit my video, Yuki Muramoto... You can just sit there waiting for it to be finished, rather than causing distractions by your training session!

Yuki: I don't need to get ordered around by a girl like you! You don't get to decide things for me! Besides, you're too prissy to understand what a true bond is!

Serena: PRISSY!? Did you just call me Prissy!? Who do you think you are!?... Ah! My Fennekin! What's going on here!?

Ash: Team Rocket! Not you guys again! Give Pikachu, Hawlucha, Fennekin, and Dedenne back right now!

Jessie: In your dreams, twerp! These Pokémon are part of the operation that's going to make me a star!

Yuki: If that's the case, I'll crush your dreams as a star, by taking you out and saving our Pokémon!


	36. The Bond to Mystery and Love!

**Chapter 36: The Bond to Mystery and Love!**

Last time on "Pokémon Kalos Journey", on the way to Cyllage City for Ash and Yuki's Gym battle with Grant at the Cyllage Gym, they stopped by at the Pokémon Center for Serena to make her first PokéVision video, after they saw the top ten videos, including Aria's.

Ash and Yuki resolved to do some training as Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie would make the videos. On the process of getting the costumes, Serena bumps into a girl named Haruna, and a boy named Ryuto, as both of them seemed to have a similar face as Yuki!

By then, Serena was already beginning to make her first video. The first shot went horrible as Clemont's camera invention went haywire, forcing Ash to stop it, only to get Serena and Fennekin covered in soot, as Fennekin angrily attacked Yuki and Hawlucha accidentally, while aiming to hit Pikachu.

Annoyed for getting hit, it occurred again, on the kitchen, where Fennekin got dirty again, causing her temper to get Yuki and Hawludha to get hit once again, as both Serena and Yuki were into each other's throats, as the Fighting duo refuses to help with the video anymore.

"WHAT!? The editing machine is broken!?" Clemont and Bonnie gasped in shock. The four trainers and Bonnie was back at the Pokémon Center to have Serena's video uploaded and edited, only for them to discover that the editing machine is broken!

"No... That can't be..." Serena breathed out in shock, while holding Fennekin. "I'm afraid it's true! I had only left the room for a minute, but when I came back in..." The video manager explained, causing the Vaniville girl to panic. "What am I going to do!?" Serena exclaimed.

Yuki didn't smile, but folded his arms, making his suggestion. "Shouldn't we just leave it as it is? It's much better than just deleting it..." Yuki suggested, as Serena gave a glare at the Hawlucha Boy, until the Lumiose Gym Leader explained about the video's status.

"If we use raw footage, it'll be a disaster!" Clemont explained. "That's right! And I can't leave my video as it is, Mr. Hawlucha Boy!" Serena scoffed, turning her head away from the Hawlucha Boy. "You don't have to act so prissy about it... I'm only suggesting." Yuki mumbled.

"P-Prissy!? Did you just call me prissy!?" Serena shrieked angrily, as Fennekin glared at Yuki. "Well, at least I'm not the one who cares about some video that's all been a waste of our time!" Yuki snapped, as the Vaniville girl snapped back at Yuki angrily.

"This is my first time making a PokéVision video! It just has to be perfect, unlike some kid who doesn't know the meaning of the word perfect!" Serena retorted. Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie all groaned, seeing that the argument was starting once again between these two.

"Nothing can be perfect on the first try, but in the second or third, you can be! You're just some spoiled brat who doesn't know the meaning of the word, persistence!" Yuki snapped back as he glared at her. "Oh yes I do, Mr. Know-It-All!" Serena shrieked back angrily.

"Come on, you two! Stop fighting!" Bonnie pleaded. "Stay out of this, Bonnie!" Serena and Yuki retorted, causing Bonnie to shriek a little, before stepping back as Clemont frowned. "Nothing's gonna make things better by the two of you arguing!" Clemont tried to explain.

"Well for one thing, I think it's making me a whole lot better calling Mr. Know-It-All some names!" Serena shrieked. "I know what you are, you spoiled brat, but what am I? Miss Perfection! You're too prissy to know about a true bond between trainers and Pokémon!" Yuki snapped.

"WHAT!?" Serena shrieked back. The video manager tried to help with the stop arguing part, until everyone heard a woman's voice. "PokéVision Production, anyone?" A woman called out. That got the group's attention as the five all ran outside to see what was going on.

Up ahead seemed to be a video production shop, mainly for PokéVision videos. In front of the entrance were three people, who seemed to be the workers of the shop. One was dressed as a rich, yet an arrogant woman. Another man was dressed as a businessman.

The shortest of them seemed to be the cameraman. "Inexpensive, yet reliable!" The businessman added. "Pokéstock quality are the cheap! We'll give your videos style, and we'll do it with a smile!" The short movie director added while jumping around, feeling excited for some reason.

"I don't remember that place..." Serena admitted in confusion. "I've never heard of that place before." Yuki added, causing him to get a glare from Serena as he glared back with a glance. "We're the PokéVision Rocketeers! The video experts in PokéStar Studios!" The woman announced.

"And we decided to grace your town with our genius!" The businessman added. "Trainers who want their PokéVision production to be premo can get top tier treatment at our super, special studio!" The movie director announced. By the time they were done, the group were right in front of the three.

"So, you're a PokéVision Production Company?" Clemont inquired. "Observant! Come in!" The woman and the businessman chuckled. They ushered Yuki, Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie inside, with the movie director following behind. Soon, the three were about to show their evidence of their video expertise.

"The proof of our prowess needs to be seen to be believed!" The businessman explained. "You'll be so moved, you'll need to rent a moving van! Roll it!" The woman cried. She and the man walked off, allowing the cameraman to lower the screen for the group to see.

"Get ready to be bedazzled!" The movie director assured. He pressed on a button on his labtop, starting their 'master' PokéVision video. The screen revealed itself, showing a Meowth logo, who started to let out a loud cry, while attempting to try and make a roar instead.

Then, the scene shifted to the same rich woman, who was in a black and ground background. "Acting..." The woman said. The scene then shifted to a woman witnessing two UFOs coming straight for her! "Acting!" The woman said again. Then, the scene shifted to where a giant scared the woman off.

"Eeeek! All the world's stage! And no actress stages is more worldliness than I, Jesslana! Now... May I count on you? Of course, I'm assuming that all of you can count?" The woman, known as Jesslana requested. When the video has ended, the group's reaction was less than positive.

"I've... never seen anything like this before..." Serena admitted nervously. "Yeah... And I'm kinda glad..." Bonnie agreed, frowning. "Well, at least their videos have been edited and they have a soundtrack!" Clemont chuckled nervously. "Yeah... So, should we ask them?" Ash asked.

"I guess so..." "I don't know..." Serena and Yuki responded at the same time. Once again, they glared at each other, as they both scoffed, turning their heads away from each other. Fennekin and Hawlucha did the same, annoyed with each other. Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie once again sweat dropped at their attitudes.

Serena cleared her throat before making her request. "Will you help us with our video?" Serena asked. "We thought you'd never ask!" The businessman and Jesslana answered together. "We've already got the footage, so we just need it to be edited, and the sound added in." Clemont explained.

Immediately, Jesslana glared at the group angrily, offended by their problem. "WHAT!? Who do you posers think you are!? I am an accomplished makeup artists and as well as a great actress! So there!" The woman snapped, startling the group as the Hawlucha Boy frowned.

_"Great actress, my foot... There's something fishy about this production company..."_ Yuki thought, sweat dropping. "I'm the great PokéVision Producer: Jamecetti." Jamecetti explained. "And I'm the number one director, Spiel-Meowth!" Spiel-Meowth explained, introduing himself.

With their introduction done, Jesslana smirked at the four trainers and Bonnie, inquiring thrm of their filming and acting skills. "Do you really think professionals like us would use footage taken by amateurs by the likes of you?" Jesslana taunted as Jamecetti cleared his throat to make his point.

"There's no dispute, we must re-shoot!" Jamecetti insisted. The three made a pose together until they made their move. Spiel-Meowth took Dedenne off of Bonnie's head, while Jamecetti took Pikachu and Hawlucha in his arms. "Now, we'll need these!" Jesslana explained.

"Yes..." Jamecetti agreed. This, of course, started to get really suspicious for Yuki as he glabced at Hawlucha. The Wrestling Pokémon nodded to him as the Hawlucha Boy nodded back. "Okay... So, what about us?" Ash asked, confused. "And what are you going to use for costumes?" Serena asked.

"It would be great to watch you guys work!" Clemont added. "All costumes and scenery will be computer generated, so no worries!" Jesslana assured with a smile. "And we will need complete concentration while we work, so there will be no peeking!" Jamecetti added.

"Now, chill and wait out here!" Spiel-Meowth added. With that said, the three disappeared into another room as Serena frowned at this situation. "Something doesn't feel right..." Serena stated. "Yeah... It's like something has happebed before... ks about to happen again." Yuki stated along.

He recalled the last time they were ordered not to peek was when Team Rocket disguised themselves as famous stylers for Pokémon, when it was only intended to steal all of the trainer's Pokémon. "Agreed." "Yeah..." Clemont and Bonnie agreed together.

"Let's go take a look!" Ash called. Everyone agreed as they ran into the same room where their Pokémon was taken. But by the time they got to the other room, it was completely empty! All excpet for a fake mirror set up in the empty and open room. "What!?" Ash exclaiemd in shock.

"It's an empty room!" Clemont pointed out. "Fenn!" "Hawlucha!" Fennekin and Hawlucha's voice cried out. "Fennekin!?" Serena cried in shock. "Hawlucha! Where... What!?" Yuki started until he looked up. Everyone looked up, shocked of what they were seeing right now.

There was a Meowth balloon above them, with Pikachu, Dedenne, Hawlucha, and Fennekin trapped in a glass case! "Look! That balloon!" Ash pointed out. Suddenly, as the Kanto trainer finished his words, the familiar evil trio began their motto, revealing their true selves!

"Prepare for trouble, your vision is good."

"Too bad your heads are made out of wood."

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reaches to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"And James!"

"Team Rocket, blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare for one cinematic fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

The evil trio laughed at their success once again as the Kanto trainer and the Hawlucha Boy glared at them. "Team Rocket! Not you again!" Ash snapped angrily. "Haven't you guys had enough with your losses!?" Yuki snapped along. "Hm! I wouldn't be surprised if they broke the editing machine!" Clemont grunted.

"Well, well! I wonder..." Jessie chuckled as Serena grew furious at this theft. "Give Fennekin back!" Serena demanded. "And Dedenne, too!" "And Pikachu!" "That goes for Hawlucha, too!" Bonnie, Ash, and Yuki demanded once again. James scoffed at those demands with a sneer.

"Not on your life! We're flying high!" James retorted. "Buh-bye!" The evil trio laughed together while creating a smokescreen from their balloon. However, the Kanto trainer wasn't having any of this as he took out a Pokéball. "No way! Fletchling, I choose you!" Ash yelled.

The Tiny Robin Pokémon appeared, ready to help out. "Go after Team Rocket!" Ash ordered. Fletchling nodded and flew up, passing through the smoke, only to spot the balloon flying ahead. He flew after the balloon, giving chase to the evil trio and his captured friends.

**Meanwhile...**

Pikachu, Dedenne, Hawlucha, and Fennekin were all trapped in a glass cage, as Team Rocket stopped near a cave, preparing to head back to the headquarters soon. While given the time to escape, both Pikachu and Hawkucha began to slam against the glass to make an escape route.

Pikachu tackled the glass, as Hawlucha tried to use Karate Chop to break through, only for the two attacks to backfire! The two were sent tumbling back, with Fennekin and Dedenne watching in concern. "Fenn..." Fennekin whimpered, feeling concerned for her Fighting Type crush.

Despite of the fight and argument they had earlier, the Fire Type realized that no matter how much squabbling they had together along with their trainers, they have to get along and team up together if they want to escape together and to get back to their trainers as soon as possible.

Dedenne looked out to see that water seemeed to be pouring down outside of the cave. Was it rain? Or was it something else? What he realized, was that none of the Team Rocket member was coming to get them, which probably that they were doing something for their own time.

For Fletchling, he finally caught up to Team Rocket and witnessed a video filming going on! Jessie had her Jesslana disguise on once again, as she had planned to make another video, despite of Meowth and James' protest. Now, with Wobbuffet helping them film, they were filiming once again.

Seeing this as a perfect chance to get back to his trainer, Fletchling flew off to inform Ash and the others about Team Rocket's current location. He flew over to his trainer, who asked him about the location. "So, did you find Team Rocket?" Ash asked. "Fletch Fletchling!" Fletchling chirped with a nod.

"Awesome! Show us where they are!" Ash called. "Fletchling!" Fletchling agreed. He flew off, leaving the others to follow the Flying Type. "Fennekin... Please be alright..." Serena whispered. Her whispering was enough for Yuki to hear as he glanced at his Vanville friend.

He bit his lips befpre he continued on running to get his Pokémon back. Back to the four captured Pokémon, the glass finally began to weaken, as Pikachu slammed the glass with Iron Tail! A small crack appeared on the glass, showing that the glass was about to open up.

"Haw... cha!" Hawlucha yelled. He used Karate Chop once again to weaken the glass, making the crack even bigger. Next was Dedenne's turn as he slammed the glass with a Tackle attack, causing the crack to be even bigger, reaching the edges.

And for the finishing touch, Fennekin gathered some of her power and shot a Hidden Power attack! The bright orb smashed the glass cage, giving the four Pokémon a chance to escape. "Pika!" "Hawlucha!" "Dedenne!" "Fennekin!" The four Pokémon cheered as they ran out of their broken prison.

As they approached the cave exit, a huge puddle was right in front of them, blocking their way to the other side. Left with no other choice, Pikachu, Dedenne, and Hawlucha ran over the lake in order to get to the other side. Fennekin however, didn't seem so happy to see the huge puddle.

She gulped, taking a few steps onto the puddle, only to get her four paws to get all wet and muddy! She shrieked, taking a few steps back and away from the lake. At her shriek, Pikachu, Hawlucha, and Dedenne all looked back in surprise to see their Fire Type friend being hesitant.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu called, telling Fennekin to hurry. But to his dismay, Fennekin frantically shook her head, refusing to cross the muddy puddle. "Fen Fen Fen!" Fennekin whimpered, not wanting to get dirty once again. Pikachu and Dedenne sighed while the Wrestling Pokémon frowned.

"Fennekin!" Serena's voice called. The four Pokémon turned to see Yuki, Ash, Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont running to their way with Fletchling flying besides them. "Fenn!" "Pika!" "Lucha!" Fennekin, Pikachu, and Hawlucha called happily. "Fennekin! You're okay!" Serena exclaimed.

She sighed in relief, seeing her starter Pokémon looking fine and unharmed. But for the muddy puddle, Clemont frowned, looking to see where the rain was coming from. "Why is it only raining over here?" Clemont asked. But when he noticed Team Rocket, he immediately found the answer.

James and Meowth noticed them as well, much to their panic and surprise. "It looks like the twerps are crashing our set!" Meowth pointed out in shock. "We've got Pokémon problem!" James reminded Jessie, much to her annoyance as she turned to her enemies with anger.

"WHAT!? Can't you see I'm busy making movie magic up here!? Take Pikachu and the rest of your poultry Pokémon!" Jessie scoffed, much to James and Meowth's disappointment. "She is good at acting like a fool..." James grumbled, face palming. Taking this chance, Pikachu, Hawlucha, and Dedenne ran up to their trainers!

The two Electric Types ran up to their trainer's arms as Yuki gave Hawlucha a hug in the reunion. "Pikachu!" "Dedenne!" "You're all okay!" Ash, Bonnie, and Yuki cried out their joy. But the reunion was stopped short as Hawlucha pointed to where Fennekin was hesitant to move.

"Hawlucha cha!" Hawlucha pointed out, as the ohters turned their attention to the scared Fire Type. Serena frowned, knowing what the problem was. "I should've known... Fennekin hates getting dirty, just like me!" Serena stated, as the Hawlucha Boy frowned at the reason.

He took a deep breath before taking a step forward onto the puddle. "Yuki...? What are you doing?" Serena asked. Before she could ask again, Yuki offered a hand to the Vaniville girl with a small smile on his face. "Come on. Let's get Fennekin together. She is your partner, isn't she?" Yuki offered.

Serena blinked in surprise, and so did the others. First, the two of them were arguing with each other a few minutes ago, and now Yuki's willing to put their argument askde and help Serena? For Serena however, she accepted the help. "Mm hm... Thank you, Yuki." Serena thanked.

The Hawlucha Boy nodded back as he and Serena begam to run for Fennekin. "Fennekin!" Serena called as she and Yuki ran for the Fire Type. "Fenn!?" Fennekin yipped in surprise. James took out his Pokéball, immediately countering the two. "Nope! No way! Inkay, use Psybeam on the twerps!" James called.

The Dark-Psychic Type appeared out of his Pokéball, shooting a Psychic Type attack at Serena and Yuki! The Hawlucha Boy immediately noticed and took Serena to the muddy ground. "Get down!" Yuki yelled. Serena shrieked in surprise when she hit the ground, along with Yuki.

The attack missed, but it splashed muddy water on the two trainers. "Serena! Yuki!" Ash gasped, with Clemont and Bonnie gasping in surprise. Hawlucha watched carefully as Fennekin widened her eyes in shock. She really wanted to help her trainer and Yuki, but once again, her fear of getting dirty overpowered that feeling and made her feel hesitant again.

Despite of the surprise attack they took, the two trainers stood back up. "How are you... feeling right now, Serena?" Yuki grunted. "Not okay, but... I'll be fine!" Serena answered. The two trainers stood up together with Serena giving a glance towards Yuki. What Yuki said before... it was all starting to make sense to her now.

_"You don't take a journey very seriously, when they can make trainers dirty sometimes!" _Yuki's words came to her mind with more coming._ "You and Fennekin always get angry for no reason! You could easily get cleaned when the dirty work is over!"_ Yuki's voice shouted out. These were all the words he said when she was arguing with him.

_"__Yuki's right... Who cares about dirty clothes... Fennekin has always been there to protect me..." _Serena thought. Both Serena and Yuki got up, both determined to get Fennekin back. Once again, they charged for Fennekin as Jessie took out her Pokéball this time. "You're cute, Pumpkaboo! Use Shadow Ball!" Jessie yelled.

She summoned her Grass-Ghost Type Pokémon out to battle! Pumpkaboo floated in the air and launched a Shadow Ball attack, aiming it towards Yuki and Serena! The Hawlucha Boy noticed again as he dragged Serena to run faster. "Here it comes again!" Yuki grunted as Serena looked up in shock. Ash was ready to block it as he turned to Pikachu.

"Now, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash cried. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Hawlucha jumped up, wanting to help as well. The two of them shot Focus Blast and Thunderbolt together, colliding with the Shadow Ball as it made an explosion! The explosion knocked the two trainers down again, causing them to splash onto the muddy water once again.

"EEK!" Serena shrieked as she fell to the ground. Yuki managed to regain his balance immediately and helped Serena up. Seeing the Hawlucha Boy help her like this all of a sudden began to make her blush as she shook her head. _"I don't care if I get dirty or not anymore... This time, it's my turn to protect you, Fennekin!"_ Serena thought again.

For some reason, Yuki blinked, feeling like he heard Serena's voice before he smiled, knowing that his friend's determination was growing strong, strong enough to be wanting to protect her Pokémon. Fennekin blinked, noticing Serena's determination. Feeling determined herself, Fennekin began to run on the water, much to Serena's surprise.

Yuki blinked, noticing Fennekin run to her trainer as well! For the Vaniville girl, she recalled of the times that she spent with Fennekin, from the day she received it from Prof. Sycamore's lab. As the memories passed, the Fire Type had jumped into her arms, getting rid of her fear of getting dirty. The Vaniville girl hugged Fennekin with a relieved smile.

"Thank goodness you're okay... But, oh... Your fur is a mess!" Serena sighed happily. "Fen..." Fennekin sighed along happily. Yuki watched, staying out of their reunion with a smile. Their determination together was what brought them back together again. However, that reunion stopped as he and the Kanto trainer turned to Team Rocket.

"Inkay! Show the twerps that we will not be shunned!" James yelled. "Electro Ball, Pikachu!" "Hawlucha, use Focus Blast!" Ash and Yuki yelled together. Once again, the two shot up into the air, colliding their attacks with Psybeam, creating another explosion! Jessie laughed at this, seeing the action occurring right now.

"The job of this great actress is showing the clueless twerps the rumps! Now, Pumpkaboo! Use Frustration on the three of them!" Jessie yelled. Pumpkaboo nodded and began to grow red, while charging head straight for Yuki, Serena, and Fennekin! The Hawlucha Boy attempted to block Pumpkaboo, protecting Serena and Fennekin, much to their surprise.

Then suddenly, the Fire Type jumped out of Serena's arms and shot her new move! Fire blasted Pumpkaboo away, burning it. "Whoa! What's that!?" Ash exclaimed in shock. "Flamethrower, wow!" Clemont answered. Pikachu and Hawlucha were amazed too, with the Wrestling Pokémon smiling in amazement. For Serena and Yuki, the two of them were amazed as well.

"Wow! That's unbelievable! You learned how to use Flamethrower!" Serena exclaimed. "Fen!" Fennekin yipped happily. With that said, Yuki tightened his fingerless gloves, preparing to make the finishing blow. "Alright. Then, let's wrap this up! Hawlucha, use Focus Blast!" Yuki yelled. "Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.

Together, both Pikachu and Hawlucha shot their attacks which blasted Team Rocket into the air! The evil trio screamed as they were sent flying out of sight into the blue sky. "WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" Team Rocket screamed as they were out of sight.

With Team Rocket gone, Bonnie jumped up into the air, happy for the success. "We did it! We did it!" Bonnie cheered. "Dedenne!" Dedenne agreed. Yuki sighed, wiping the sweat off of his forehead as he watched Serena and Fennekin have a happy reunion together. The two hugged each other before laughing together with smiles on their faces.

**That evening...**

The group made it back to the Pokémon Center where Serena and Yuki showered to get themselves cleaned from the muddy water they were splashed on earlier. Fennekin meanwhile took some grooming and cleaning from her trainer, happy to get her fur clean once again. "You're all clean again, Fennekin!" Serena stated happily.

She was done with grooming and drying Fennekin's fur, making her Fire Type starter all cleaned up. "Fennekin!" The Fire Type cried happily. Yuki stepped in his new clean outfit, walking to the two. "Are you two done?" Yuki asked with a sigh. The Vaniville girl blinked, before smiling. "Yeah... We're done, Yuki." Serena answered.

She got up, with Fennekin in her arms as the Vaniville girl blinked, remembering that she had something to say to Yuki. "Um... Yuki?" Serena started, getting Yuki's attention. "Hm?" The Hawlucha Boy turned to his friend as Serena began her words. "I want to say... I'm sorry... For all those awful words I said about you and Hawlucha." Serena apologized.

That caused Yuki to blink before he rubbed the back of his head with a sigh. "Oh... I see... Well, I'm sorry too... Really. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that, calling you names and insulting you to control your Pokémon like that... That really came out of nowhere." Yuki apologized back. Serena giggled, before saying her words.

"Yeah... That goes for me, too..." Serena agreed. She then took a deep breath, before she made her request. "Um, so. I want to ask you something for us to make up." Serena started. "And that is?" Yuki asked. "Will you make one more video with me? I have something new in mind." Serena requested.

The sudden request left Yuki surprised as Fennekin beamed at the new idea. Thinking it over with Serena hoping, the Hawlucha Boy made his answer. "Alright... But on one condition." Yuki answered. "What's that?" Serena asked. "I want you and Fennekin to battle me and Hawlucha in a one hit duel." Yuki explained.

Fennekin blinked in surprise as Serena grew confused. "A one hit duel? What do you mean?" Serena asked. "Simple. Our Pokémon battle each other, but it can be real short. The winner will be when one side gives the opponent just one hit, ending the battle quickly." Yuki explained.

"I see... So that would make Fennekin not dirty even if the battle had gone..." Serena replied. "Right you are. Wanna give it a try?" Yuki asked. The Vaniville girl turned to her Fire Type, who gave a small nod in determination, fired up and ready to go. "Alright then. Let's do it!" Serena agreed.

So, with Yuki and Serena all dressed and ready to go, the two were ready to battle, with Hawlucha facing off against Fennekin. "Are you ready, Serena?" Yuki asked. "I'm ready when you are, Yuki!" Serena agreed. "Alright... Then, let's get going! Hawlucha, use Flying Press!" Yuki yelled.

**Yuki: Hawlucha VS Serena: Fennekin (One-Strike Duel)**

"Fennekin! Keep Hawlucha away with Flamethrower!" Serena cried. Fennekin nodded and blew a Flamethrower attack at Hawlucha, as the Wrestling Pokémon persistently dodged the attack and got closer to the Fire Type. During the battle, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie watched from the window.

"What's Serena and Yuki up to? Are they battling with each other?" Clemont asked. "Whatever it is, I think it's going great!" Ash stated. "Pika Pika..." Pikachu stated along in surprise. Back at the battle, Hawlucha dodged every one of Fennekin's attacks, making her exhausted.

_"Oh no... None of Fennekin's attacks are making a hit to Hawlucha! He's just too fast! And Fennekin is getting really tired... I have to make this count."_ Serena thought. "Now, Fennekin! Use Hidden Power!" Serena cried. Orbs flew towards Hawlucha as Fennekin launched the attack.

"Not on my watch. Hawlucha! Dodge, then use Karate Chop!" Yuki cried. Evading Hidden Power, Hawlucha flew down, attempting to hit Fennekin to make hus victory. "Ah! Fennekin, use Scratch to counter!" Serena cried. The Fire Type lunged at Hawlucha, making her attack.

Scratch was aimed at her crush several times as Hawlucha rapidly dodged the attacks, making them all miss. "Do it now, Hawlucha! Make your move!" Yuki called. Serena widened her eyes, noticing that Fennekin was close enough for a close range attack! "Ah! Oh no! Fennekin, get out of there, now!" Serena panicked.

"Too late!" Yuki shouted out. Too late was right as Fennekin attempted to dodge Hawlucha, only for the Fighting-Flying Type to tap his hand onto Fennekin's head, causing Serena and the others to blink in surprise. "This battle is over." Yuki declared as Hawlucha jumped back with a nod.

Serena and Fennekin both blinked in confusion as the Hawlucha Boy explained. "I said this would be a one-hit duel, didn't I? Since Hawlucha made a hit or touch on Fennekin, this battle is over." Yuki declared. Serena sweat dropped, seeing that the battle had ended so quickly.

**Winner: Yuki**

"Uh... Okay?" Serena blinked, before she sighed, slumping down. Now that she lost, she won't be able to make her final video that she planned to do! But just as she and her Fire Type was getting disappointed, the Fighting duo walked over, looking down at them.

"What is it?" Serena asked. "Are the camera and costumes still ready to go then, Serena? We might have one more shot at this." Yuki asked, shocking the Vaniville girl. "Y-You mean...!?" Serena exclaimed as the Hawlucha Boy nodded. "Right. This one-strike duel was to test your bond with Fennekin and yourself." Yuki explained.

He closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them again. "So even if I did win the battle, then I would still just be wanting to make the final video with you. What do you say, Serena?" Yuki explained. "Hawlu lucha?" Hawlucha asked with a smirk. Serena blinked before making a big smile.

"That would be great! Thanks for doing this, Yuki!" "Fen! Fennekin!" Serena and Fennekin thanked together in unison. "That's great! You two are going to make another video?" Bonnie asked. That startled both Yuki and Serena as they turned to see Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie smiling at them.

"You guys... Have you been watching this whole time?" Yuki asked with a frown. "Sorry... We saw you battling and was wondering why you two were doing it until we realized it was for Serena's video." Clemont explained. "Other than that, that was amazing, even if it was just a one hit battle." Ash added.

Serena gave a small blush at that with Yuki sighing. "I guess that's fine... Serena?" Yuki sighed, turning to the Vaniville girl. "Huh? Oh, right!" Serena agreed. The two of them ran inside with Hawlucha and Fennekin, preparing to make the final video together.

**Later...**

Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, Pikachu, Dedenne, Chespin, and Bunnelby were at the video room with the video manager, waiting for Yuki and Serena to arrive with their starters as well. Just as Bonnie was about to complain, the two ran in the room, running to where they were.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Serena apologized. "I hope we didn't take that long now, did we?" Yuki asked, breathing deeply. "No, you're just in time to see it, you two!" Clemont assured. Hawlucha rubbed the back of his head with the Hawlucha Boy giving a deep sigh.

"Alright, then. Let me show you your finished video!" The video manager replied, beginning the video. "Great! Thank you!" Serena thanked. With that said, everyone watched as the screen began to show the completed video of Serena's first PokéVision video.

The first scene showed the part where Serena wore a pink dress with the Fennekin ears and tail, with Fennekin dressing the same way. **_"Hi! My name is Serena! And this is my partner, Fennekin!"_** Serena's voice called out in the video. The second scene switched to the kitchen.

_**"We love making sweet treats... And we love eating them, too!"** _Serena's voice called our once again. The scene showed Serena and Fennekin tasting the treats, with the help from Ash's Pikachu. They both tasted the finished sweets happily, both believing that it tasted delicious.

The third scene showed Serena and her Fire Type dressed up in pink bows, showing themselves off. **_"We also like to dress up and look our best!" _**Serena's voice explained, as the scene showed the Trainer and Pokémon's happy faces. Ash frowned, growing a little confused with the video.

"Yuki... Where's your scene?" Ash whispered to his friend as the Hawlucha Boy glanced at his Kanto friend. "You'll soon see. It's coming right up..." Yuki whispered back. Pikachu and Hawlucha both watched together, feeling excited to see if Yuki would show up in the video as well.

Finally, the fourth scene showed Yuki in his training clothes. He and Hawlucha looked like they were in a training room, punching some punching bags. _"Hey there, everyone! My name is Yuki, and this is my partner and best friend, Hawlucha!" _Yuki's voice called out, introducing himself.

Serena giggled at this while Yuki blushed, embarrassed a bit to hear his voice in the video. _"Together, we train together... We even spar against each other!" _Yuki's voice explained. The fifth scene showed Hawlucha sparring with Yuki in a practice match as both fought lightly, trying not to hurt each other.

The scene then shifted back to the kitchen, where Serena was with Fennekin as the Fighting duo were making some sweets as well, with the Vaniville girl helping out as the two trainers had smiles on their faces. **_"Like with Serena and Fennekin, the two of us like to taste sweets as well! We even like making them, too!"_** Yuki's voice explained.

Finally, the seventh scene came by with Serena dressed as a princess and with Yuki dressed as a prince. They danced together in front of the church entrance background. Hawlucha and Fennekin danced together too, both acting like a couple. They looked at the screen, waving to the viewers.

**_"If you see us around, please stop by and say hi! Okay?"_** Serena's voice asked. **_"Because we'll be there to greet you as your friends!"_** Yuki's voice added, which finished the video. The video ended, with Yuki, Serena, Hawlucha, and Fennekin smiling and waving to the viewers.

The Hawlucha Boy and the Vaniville girl gulped together, hoping to get positive results. But to their surprise, it was more than that. Everyone began to applaud for the completed video with Bonnie making the first comment. "You four looked so great!" Bonnie complimented.

"Thanks, Bonnie!" Serena thanked with a smile. "Pretty nice, I must say, for the two of you!" Clemont complimented along. "Ches pin pin!" Chespin added. "Y-Yeah... I suppose pretty nice can be a compliment." Yuki chuckled nervously. Serena then blushed a little, before looking at Ash.

"Hey, Ash! What did you think?" Serena asked. Ash turned to his two friends with his comment in mind. "Who, me? I thought it was awesome!" Ash complimented. "Pika!" "Chespin Ches!" Pikachu and Chespin agreed together. "Really? Did you hear that, Fennekin?" Serena asked happily.

"Fen!" The Fire Type yipped happily. "I guess that means for good for us, huh, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked his partner. "Lucha... Hawlucha." Hawlucha agreed with a npd and folded arms. "You know what, you two? I think you'd be great for couples!" Bonnie commented.

That caused Serena and Yuki to blush a little and widen their eyes in shock at the sudden thought. "Us!? As couples!?" "Bonnie! Why would you think that!?" The two cried together frantically. "And not just you two! Hawlucha and Fennekin can be a couple as well!" Bonnie added.

That caused Hawlucha to blink before he blushed, as Fennekin smiled sweetly a little, before blushing as well. "WE... ARE NOT... A COUPLE, Bonnie!" Yuki bellowed desperately. "Yeah! That's right! That was only for the video! It wasn't meant for us to look like couples!" Serena agreed.

The two were flushed red together as Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, Pikachu, Dedenne, Chespin, and Bunnelby laughed at their embarrassment, along with Hawlucha's embarrassment as well.

**Later...**

**_"Hello there. I'd like you to meet my partners, Chespin... and Bunnelby!"_** Bonnie's voice explained as Clemont used his mouth to catch on with Bonnie's words. The first scene showed Clemont in a formal suit, with Chespin and Bunnelby wearing ties to look formal as well.

However, the Lumiose Gym Leader was severely nervous, due to this being his first video, as well as this being recorded to the public. **_"I'm a handsome Gym Leader, from the Lumiose City Gym! I can be shy, but I'm very strong in my own ways!"_** Bonnie continued on, taking over for Clemont's voice.

The second scene showed on how Clemont felt 'shy', and on how he looked 'buffed up'. _"I love to invent things, and right now, I'm looking for a nice girl who I can be a good friend to-" _Bonnie continued on, until Chespin appeared right in front of the camera screen!

That caused the recording to be interrupted as Bonnie yelped, while scolding Chespin to back off. **_"Hey! Out of the way!"_** Bonnie snapped. Bunnelby jumped up, trying to get the pesky Grass Type out of the way! That only caused Chespin to angrily lung for Bunnelby, only for him to be held back by the Normal Type's ears!

Clemont was no longer nervous now as he began to scold the two for fighting. **_"Hey! There's no reason for the two of you to be starting a fight right now!"_** Clemont scolded.**_ "Stop it right now!"_** Bonnie demanded. However, that came too late as Bunnelby jumped back, launching several Mud Shot attacks!

The siblings yelped in surprise as another Mud Shot attack was launched with Chespin countering it with Pin Missile! An explosion occurred, covering Clemont with soot and making his hair all bushy! **_"That's my big brother!" _**Bonnie laughed nervously.

She, Chespin, and Bunnelby nervously presented Clemont, only for the recording camera to fall down, much to their surprise and to their disappointment, causing the recording of Clemont's first PokéVision video to end.

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 37: A Golden Magikarp Legend!**

**Chapter 38: New Task! Catch Golden Magikarp!**

**Chapter 39: Come Play With Us, Amaura!**

**Chapter 40: The Rescue! Amaura in Danger!**

**Chapter 41: Find the Cussler! Buizel and Skrelp!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Check it out! There's an aquarium there full of Water Type Pokémon!

Bonnie: So cute! There's so many of them! Huh? Is that... a golden Magikarp statue?

Rodman: Correct! This golden Magikarp is legendary. It is said that it saved a dover from drowning in the ocean!

Clemont: If that's the case, then we'd like to help you catch that Magikarp, Rodman!

Serena: I may not know how to fish so much, but If i can help with this, then I'll do it!

Yuki: Fishing, huh... I might be able to catch it with the fishing experience I have, too.


	37. A Golden Magikarp Legend!

**Chapter 37: A Golden Magikarp Legend!**

"We'll be able to see it from the top of the hill!" Serena chimed in happily. "Alright!" "Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu cried out happily. The four trainers and Bonnie were continuing their way to Cyllage City for Ash and Yuki's Gym battle against Grant, who's known to be the Rock Type Gym Leader for the Cyllage Gym.

On their way however, Serena was for some reason excited to see the town before Cyllage City, which was Ambrette Town. Because of that, she ran ahead of the group, forcing them to catch up until they were excited ro see the new town as well. As a minute passed, the whole group was watching the city from the hills.

Yuki stretched his arms up high in the air, while taking a deep breath with a new scent coming from the ocean ahead. "You can smell the ocean from here..." Yuki sighed. "Hawlucha Haw..." Hawlucha agreed as he copied his human friend's movements while sniffing the ocean air as well. "It feels so nice!" Bonnie pointed out happily.

"It's always great to get to the shore!" Clemont stated with agreement. As he said that, Serena took out her Town Map device, explaining about Ambrette Town and the oceans. "This says how beautiful Ambrette Town is!" Serena stated as she checked for more information in her device. As for Bonnie, she felt excited as she looked down at Dedenne.

"That's the ocean, Dedenne!" Bonnie explained. "Dedenne!" Dedenme cried out happily, happy to see something new for the first time. Later, with a bit of walking, the group arrived at the shore, where Ash took Froakie out for some training and relaxation. "Froakie, I choose you! Check out the ocean!" Ash called.

The Bubble Frog Pokémon came out of the Pokéball, immediately excited to see the ocean in front of him. He and Pikachu took the first dive into the waters, playing happily together. Soon, Bonnie laughed, joining in the fun, along with Dedenne. Hawlucha joined in as well, since it had been a while since he last had a swim in the ocean.

The four Pokémon all splashed water together, while relaxing in the cool water as well. Yuki chuckled at the sight of his Fighting Type friend and mentor having fun in the water. "Froakie is a Water Type! No wonder it's so happy!" Clemont points out, noticing how content Froakie looked right now. "Yeah! This would be a great spot to train!" Ash agreed.

"Right. We really need to focus on our battle with Grant." Yuki agreed. "NOT! There's still somewhere I want to go!" Serena complained, causing the Hawlucha Boy to sweat drop. _"This is the second time she objects or stops our training... I don't think I can take this anymore..." _Yuki thought grimly.

"Where's that, Serena?" Clemont asked, which the Vaniville girl smiled at. "Ta-da! The Ambrette Aquarium!" Serena explained. At the mention of an aquarium, the little sister started to get really excited at that. "An aquarium!?" Bonnie squeals in delight. "That's great! It's got lots of Water Type Pokémon from all the different regions!" Clemont explained.

"That's it! I've wanted to go since forever!" Serena explained, causing the Kanto trainer to smile. "Sounds like fun! I'd like to go, too!" Ash explained. "Pika Pika!" "Froak!" Pikachu and Froakie agreed together. "I wanna go! I wanna go! I wanna go!" Bonnie demanded cheerfully, excited to see new Pokémon.

"What do you say, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked, unsure about the idea. "Haw cha cha!" Hawlucha replied with a smirk and a nod, leaving Yuki with a surprised look on his face. "You too?... I'm outnumbered in this situation, am I?" Yuki sighed. The others laughed at Yuki's embarrassment, along with Pikachu, Dedenne, Froakie, and Hawlucha.

So for now, their destination was the Ambrette Aquarium, where most Water Type Pokémon resides!

**[Pokémon: XY Volt Opening (English Subbed)]**

(Pikachu was shown kissing the screen until he ran with Ash, Yuki, and Hawlucha)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying,**_

(A scene showed a route crossroad, with Meowstic and a group of Swirlix floating by)

_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark, **_

(A grassfield where Vivillon, and Swanna groups are flying at a nearby town)

(Underwater where Water Type were swimming underwater)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were seeing a town from a bridge view)

_**Ice, Normal, Fighting, Fire,**_

(A flower field shows; a group of macarons show; a rainy night shows)

_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy,**_

(The group runs along the route in the city)

_**Come on, from here on out it's an adventure and there's only light ahead**_

(Ash's blue background show him and Pikachu sharing sandwiches together)

_**The sky overflows with a rain of tears but we push through**_

(Serena's pink background show her picking a hat, while Fennekin happily runs around her)

_**Come on, use your courage to be better than you were yesterday**_

(Clemont's blue and yellow background show him inventing a machine before it explodes, while Bonnie runs with Dedenne and Chespin)

_**Treasure any encounter  
****  
Heart's pounding, Challenger!**_

(Yuki's green background shows him and Hawlucha sparring with each other, while Litleo, Heracross, and Bulbasaur cheers)

_**Someday, my dream will be fulfilled **_

(Ash, Yuki, Hawlucha, and Pikachu were running only to be blocked by a huge cliff)

(Silhouettes of Kalos Gym Leaders shine in front of the two)

_**That's what you have taught me, and that's why I travel**_

(Serena place a hand on Ash's left shoulder, Clemont places a hand on Yuki's right shoulder, Bonnie grabs the two's hands together)

(The group runs to the field on their journey)

_**As the red ring of bonds spreads far and wide**_

**_I'll definitely reach out to everyone with this energy I suddenly feel_**

(Ash and Yuki make attack calls; Pikachu and Hawlucha fights and defeat the trainers' Honedge and Pangoro)

_**This blue planet of ours is shining with hope**_

(Clemont calls for attacks; Chespin uses Pin Missile, and Bunnelby uses Dig)

(Bonnie cheers, as Dedenne uses Thundershock)

(Serena calls for an attack; Fennekin uses Ember)

(Yuki calls for attacks; Bulbasaur uses Razor Leaf, Litleo uses Ember, Heracross uses Megahorn, and Hawlucha uses Karate Chop)

_**The yellow flowers bloom**_

(Ash calls for attacks: Froakie uses Water Pulse, Fletchling uses Steel Wing, as Pikachu uses Electro Ball)

(A Mega Evolution sign appears; Mega Lucario roars, sending huge power)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying**_  
_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark**_  
_**Ice, Normal, Fire, Fighting**_  
_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy**_

(Xerneas and Yvetal appears; The Japanese opening title appears)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie smile at the viewers with their Pokémon)

**(Title opening ends)**

Sooner or later, the four trainers and Bonnie had arrived at the Ambrette Aquarium. A woman receptionist greeted them for their entry at the aquarium. "Welcome to the Ambrette Aquarium! I'm sure you'll enjoy all our aquatic displays!" The woman receptionist greeted, as Serena agreed happily with a nod.

"Can't wait to see them!" Serena agreed. "Our aquarium is the perfect place to see many different Water Type Pokémon!" The woman receptionist explained. But for Bonnie, instead of being excited for the displays, the little girl was more excited about the woman caring for Clemont. "Oh... Wow! You're a keeper! Hey!" Bonnie cried happily.

She made an offering pose to the woman, making her same embarrassing request once again. "I need you to take care of my brother, please!" Bonnie declared. At that, the woman sweat dropped, while the Lumiose Gym Leader turned red in annoyance and embarrassment. "Bonnie! I told you to stop this a million times!" Clemont snapped.

He activated the Aipom Arm to drag his little sister away from the woman as he stomped away, annoyed of what just happened. "I hope you'll think about it please!" Bonnie called out loud as she was dragged away from her brother. Ash, Yuki, and Serena could only follow as the receptionist laughed nervously at the strange offer.

"Ah ha... Have a nice day!" The woman called as the group headed inside. Soon, the four trainers and Bonnie were inside one section of the aquarium as they were all in awe to see many Water Type Pokémon. "Wow... So many!" Ash pointed out in amazement. "Yeah..." Yuki agreed.

"Pikachu!" "Lucha..." The two partners agreed in amazment. They walked around, getting close to see the Water Types and some other Pokémon in the aquarium. "They're beautiful!" Serena commented happily, noticing the Alomomola and the Huntail. Just then, a Gorebyss swam by, happily waving to Ash and Serena with her tail.

"Gorebyss, wow!" Ash said in awe. "It's a pink Pokémon, and it's totally cute! Incredible!" Serena commented happily, amazed to see the pink Water Type Pokémon. Yuki walked around with Hawlucha, noticing some Buizel and Floatzels swimming around underwater together. "Buizel and Floatzel! Cool!" Yuki commented.

"Hawlucha..." Hawlucha agreed, seeing how the Sea Weasel Pokémon and their evolved form swam happily together. Two of the Buizels waved happily to the Fighting duo, causing the Hawlucha Boy to smile and wave back. "Hey there!" Yuki called. As he waved, the two young ones swam around together before they left Yuki's eyes.

For Bonnie, she pressed her face onto the glass, hoping to see the Water Types up close. But suddenly, a dark Pokémon approached the glass, right in front of her face! "Eek!" Bonnie squealed as she fell back. The dark Pokémon remained staring at her as the little girl pouted at the sudden fright.

"That scared me!" Bonnie complained as her older brother laughed. "Ah ha ha! That's a Relicanth!" Clemont pointed out with a smile, knowing what it was. The little sister sighed as she looked down at her stiff Electric Type Pokémon. "Did that scare you too, Dedenne?" Bonnie asked. "Dedenne..." Dedenne responded with a nod.

Back to Ash, Yuki joined him and Serena as the Kanto trainer noticed a pair of eyes from the sand. The figure revealed itself, leaving Ash amazed at the sudden appearance. "Cool! Stunfisk!" "Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu agreed together. Just then, a couple of sea horse looking Pokémon swam by, which Yuki noticed.

"Horsea and Seadra, whoa!" Yuki pointed out. "Haw cha..." Hawlucha replied in surprise. For Bonnie, she made a face that looked exactly like a Wooper, imitating them. "Woo-hoo!" Bonnie cried out, excited. "You mean Wooper." Clemont corrected. Another section showed some Clamperls, much to Serena's amazement.

"Clamperl!" Serena breathed out happily. "Too cute!" Bonnie added. Later, they witnessed some Lanturns showing their lights to them, as the Kanto trainer was amazed at the Water-Electric Types. "Lanturn!" Ash pointed out. "Pika!" "Hawlucha!" Pikachu and Hawlucha cried together. "They're beautiful!" Serena commented happily.

As time passed, Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were enjoying their time in the aquarium. There was even an underwater tunnel so that they could see Pokémon while even in underwater! "It's like we're all in underwater!" Ash pointed out in amazement. Clemont agreed with the amazed part as he looked around.

"You never get to see Water Type Pokémon from this angle! What a treat!" Clemont stated. "A treat, huh... I guess we can say that." Yuki chuckled as he touched the glass, witnessing some Goldeen and Qwilfish swimming by. "Haw..." Hawlucha breathed out in amazement. "Yeah! Right?" Serena agreed happily.

Just then, a large shadow swam above the group, surprising the Vaniville girl. "Huh? Hey, what's that?" Serena asked, as she noticed the Pokémon. "It's a Mantine!" Ash answered in amazement. "It's gigantic!" Bonnie commented happily. Yuki just gave a smile as the large Water-Flying Type swam by above the group.

"Whoever designed this aquarium sure knows a lot about Water Type Pokémon!" Clemont stated. "For sure!" Ash agreed. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed along. They walked off, heading for the next part of the aquarium. What they didn't know was that a boy and a girl was right behind them, except that they didn't notice the group as well.

"Ryuto... Look at all these Water Pokémon! Aren't they amazing!?" The girl asked excitedly. The boy, Ryuto, smiled. His face looked a lot like the Hawlucha Boy's, but there were some parts of his face that made him look a bit different than Yuki. "Yeah... They sure are, Haruna." Ryuto agreed, witnessing the Mantine swimming above them.

The girl, Haruna, also had a face just like Yuki, but more in a feminine way. The girl just then noticed Yuki's back as the Hawlucha Boy left with his four friends with his Fighting-Flying Type. That made the girl widen her eyes in shock as Ryuto turned to his little sister in confusion. "Haruna? Is something wrong?" Ryuto asked.

"I thought... I thought I just saw... our brother... Our oldest brother..." Haruna stammered with small tears forming in her eyes. That made Ryuto widen his eyes. "Wait, big bro Yuki!? Are you sure!? But... We were told that by Mom and Dad that... he's dead." Ryuto asked in confusion, causing Haruna to run where Yuki walked off to.

"H-Hey, Haruna!" Ryuto called. The sister didn't listen and looked around, seeing that the Hawlucha Boy was nowhere to be seen, as her older brother caught up to her. "Where is he? I just saw him walking throu here..." Haruna asked sadly, before her older brother frowned at this. "I don't seem him here..." Ryuto stated.

Haruna sniffled before she walked back, with Ryuto walking with her. "Haruna... I'm sorry..." Ryuto apologized, hugging his younger sister. Haruna kept crying, seeing that she missed her chance to be reunite with her long lost oldest brother. The two walked out of the aquarium, hoping to forget about their 'dead' brother.

Back to Yuki, he stopped for a moment, before looking back. "...?" Yuki frowned, looking around to see if someone was behind him. "Yuki? Is something wrong?" Clemont asked. "No, nothing... I just I heard someone crying, though..." Yuki answered darkly, not knowing who it could be. "Someone crying? I didn't hear anyone..." Serena answered.

"Me, too!" "Dedenne!" Bonnie and Dedenne agreed. "Maybe it was just your imagination?" Ash suggested. The Hawlucha Boy smiled sadly at that, before agreeing so. "Yeah... That must be it..." Yuki agreed. "Haw..." Hawkucha replied with folded arms and a frown, believing that he heard someone crying as well. After a while, the Wrestling Pokémon shook his head with a sigh.

**Later...**

_"And now, here is a group of Piplup out for a little stroll!" _A female aquarium worker announced, as one other worker walked out with several Penguin Pokémon behind her. The four trainers and Bonnie were witnessing a Piplup stroll, as they were all amazed to see the Sinnoh Water Type starter right in front of their eyes.

One, however, ran over to where the group was! "Wow! Such cutie!" Bonnie squealed happily. The Vaniville girl then pointed to where the Water Type was supposed to be. "Oops! Wrong way!" Serena reminded. That got the Piplup going as it ran to join the others into the pool. "Piplup are really friendly, aren't they?" Serena asked.

"They sure are..." Yuki admitted with a smile. "Pikachu and I know a Piplup who's really something else!" Ash added. "Pikachu!" The Electric Type agreed. The four trainers and Bonnie all watched as all the Penguin Pokémon jumped into the pool. "They do look like they're having fun in there..." Yuki sighed with a smile. "Lucha..." Hawlucha agreed.

**Later...**

At another part of the aquarium, the group were looking around, all noticing a very familiar fish Pokémon. "Hey, it's a Magikarp!" Ash pointed out as he scanned them with his Pokédex.

_"Magikarp, the Fish Pokémon. Because all Magikarp seem to do is splash around, some consider then weak, but they're actually a hardy Pokémon that can survive in water no matter how dirty it is." _Ash's Pokédex buzzed. Bonnie was in awe to see the Water Types as the Kanto trainer let out a small chuckle.

"They do splash around a lot..." Ash pointed out. "Pika..." Pikachu agreed. Just then, a man approached the group, getting their attention with his explanation. "You know, many Magikarp live in the bay here!" A man explained. He looked like a businessman with a Chatot on his right shoulder. "Uh... Who are you?" Clemont asked.

"Ha ha... Just a friendly observer! Of course, there are many different types of Pokémon in the world. But, Water Type Pokémon are surprisingly the second most common type!" The man explained. That got everyone in awe as Serena smiled at the fact. "Oh wow... I never knew that!" The Vaniville girl admitted.

"Lucha..." "Pika Pika..." Even Hawlucha and Pikachu seemed amazed to hear the fact as the man smiled. "See, there are so many different types of Water Type Pokémon because they have adapted to the many different environments that are found in the ocean!" The man with the Chatot explained with a chuckle.

"Man... That's cool stuff!" Ash exclaimed. For the Hawlucha Boy, he only gave a blink, before making a disinteresting face. He had heard this before, from when he was young of course, while still living in Aquacorde Town. "Did you see outside?" The man asked, causing the group to make questioning looks. "Uh... See what?" Ash asked.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked along. With that question, the man led the four trainers and Bonnie outside of the aquarium, where they all had their eyes on a certain statue. "I meant this!" The man explained. The group took a good look at it, before Ash made a statement of the statue. "It's a Magikarp statue!" Ash stated.

"And it's gold color!" Clemont added. "It's so big...!" Bonnie breathed out. "This is what a Magikarp looks like in a different color, right?" Yuki asked as the man nodded in agreement. "You are correct, my boy! This however, is a statue of a giant golden Magikarp!" The man explained, before the Kanto trainer had a question.

"So, why did they make a statue of it?" Ash asked, confused. With that question, the man closed his eyes, making the explanation. "This Magikarp represents a dream for a lot of people. If you'd like to learn more, I'd suggest you speak to that gentleman over there!" The man explained, before gesturing to someone ahead.

As the group looked close, there was a fisherman fishing on the shore with a certain type of crab looking Pokémon if his. "You see, he is this aquarium's curator!" The man explained, seeing the fisherman. "The museum's curator? So, I'm assuming he's the one that caught all those Water Type Pokémon?" Yuki inquired.

"Heh heh... You can say that! I must be going now, however. He has great stories to tell!" The man explained. With that said, the man and his Chatot took their leave, with Ash saying his thanks. "Thanks very much!" Ash thanked as the man left. "Well then? Let's go!" Serena called, running ahead. "Hey! Serena!" Yuki yelped.

He ran after the laughing Vaniville girl with Bonnie, Ash, and Clemont running behind. "Wait up!" "Slow down, you two!" Bonnie and Clemont complained together. As they were running, the fisherman was waiting for something to bite his rode, only for him to feel something pulling his rod. "Hm? Yes! A bite!... Urgh..." The curator grunted.

He tugged on his fishing rod, reeling it in to fish the object or a Pokémon out. "It's a big one, that's for sure!" The curator grunted. Just as the four trainers and Bonnie ran over to see the man, what came out was only seaweed, which was slapped onto the curator's face, much to his disappointment and embarrassment.

The group sweat dropped at that, as the Kanto trainer called to the curator. "Excuse me... Do you run the aquarium?" Ash asked. Getting his attention, the curator smiled, turning to the kids. "Why yes, I do! My name is Rodman! Nice to meet you!" The curator, known as Rodman answered with a chuckle.

He turned to his Water Type, introducing his Pokémon to the group. "I'd also like you to meet my partner, Clauncher!" Rodman explained. The blue crab Pokémon, known as Clauncher only glanced at the group with a disinteresting look and only said its name. "Clauncher Clauncher..." The Water Type muttered with a grumble.

Clemont and Ash both grew fascinated to see the Water Type while the Hawlucha Boy took out his Pokédex. "It's a Clauncher!" Clemont exclaimed. _"Clauncher, the Water Gun Pokémon. Clauncher fires compressed water from the arm gun on its right claw and damages foes with the impact from the water." _Yuki's Pokédex buzzed.

"Whoa..." "Pikachu..." Ash and Pikachu said in awe, as they listened to the Pokédex. As they looked back, the Clauncher gave a huff before jumping off the rock to be left alone and away from the others. "We were curious about that giant golden Magikarp statue..." Serena explained as Rodman smiled, remembering about the Magikarp statue.

"Oh! That statue is amazing, isn't it? As a matter of fact, I'm trying to catch the real golden Magikarp right now!" Rodman chuckled. That explanation left the group shocked as Yuki asked the question. "You mean to say there's a real golden Magikarp right here, near the shore!?" Yuki asked in surprise. "Haw!?" Hawlucha asked along.

"Hmm... According to local legend, yes!" Rodman answered. "So, that explains why that amazing statue is on display!" Clemont stated, as Rodman threw his lure into the ocean. As he waited, he explained about the legend about the shiny Water Type. "The legend has been around here for years!" Rodman started.

"Long ago, people have spent lots of times free diving here! One day, a free diver was shocked by a Starmie, while underwater, and came very close to drowning! Suddenly, a mysterious, giant golden Magikarp appeared out of nowhere! And it carried the free diver to shore, saving his life!" Rodman explained. The story seemed to made Ash in awe as he grinned.

"Wow..." Ash breathed out in amazement. "That's one story..." Yuki added. "Pika..." "Hawlucha..." Pikachu and Hawlucha agreed. "Yes... And apparently, the giant golden Magikarp has been spotted in this same area several other times!" Rodman added. "Fascinating..." Clemont breathed out, sounding amazed as well.

"You see, the mayor is a very friendly man! So, when I told him about the legend, he installed that golden Magikarp statue for the aquarium! My dream is to catch it for the aquarium, and the children will have the opportunity to see it up close! That way, everyone will enjoy the aquarium even more!" Rodman explained, reminding the group about the statue.

"Affer all... The purpose of the aquarium is to educate and entertain, don't you think?" Rodman explained. "Entertain and educate? I guess I can get that..." Yuki chuckled. "Hawlucha..." Hawlucha agreed with folded arms. They both remembered the time when Hawlucha had taught Yuki about the forest Pokémon and the reason to protect it in the first place.

"That reminds me of the time when I was taught on a reason why I needed to protect the Aquacorde Forest in the first place..." Yuki sighed, putting his hands on the back of his head. "Lucha Lucha..." Hawlucha smirked, remembering the past as well. For the Kanto trainer, he seemed interested with the fishing activity.

"Sounds awesome to me!" Ash stated. Just then, Pikachu blinked, before he jumped off of Ash to greet Clauncher. "Pika Pika! Pika Pika?" Pikachu greeted happily. But to his surprise, the Water Gun Pokémon just turned away, snorting. "Huh... Well that one is pretty unfriendly..." Yuki grumbled, as Hawlucha just gave a shrug.

"Hawlu lucha..." Hawlucha replied, not fazed by the unfriendly behavior. Suddenly, something was pulling on Rodman's fishing rod as the curator felt it. "Huh?... Urgh! I got a bite!" Rodman grunted. He began to reel in in as the group grew excited to see the rare Magikarp! "Wow! This could be it!" Ash pointed out with a grin.

"The golden Magikarp..." Serena breathed out. But while the four were excited, Yuki didn't seem to feel the same way. "Come on... There's no way a rare Pokémon like that could come out like that, right?" Yuki asked, looking at his Fighting Type, who nodded with folded arms. "Hawlucha Haw..." Hawlucha agreed with a disappointed sigh.

The Hawlucha Boy was proven right when a Pokémon jumped out of the water! What Rodman reeled in was, a regular Magikarp! Ash, Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie all groaned in disappointment as Rodman gave a small chuckle, but felt disappointed at the same time as well. "I thought so..." "Cha..." Yuki and Hawlucha sighed together.

As the Magikarp surfaced out of the water, the curator smiled, making his sigh. "Ah... It's just a regular Magikarp. Whenever I catch a regular Magikarp, I alwyas release it back to the ocean..." Rodman explained. "Oh..." "Pika..." Everyone and Pikachu replied in understanding. They all watched as the Fish Pokémon swam off and out of sight.

That was when the Kanto trainer had an idea. "I know! I'll help you catch it!" Ash offered. With that offer, the others began to join in with the offer as well. "Me, too!" "I'd like to help, too!" Serena and Clemont offered along. "I'd like to help as well, if that's okay." Yuki requested. At the four offers, Rodman smiled, agreeing to allow the four young ones to help.

"Well! Looks like I got myself a fishing team!" Rodman chuckled. With that said, he gave the four trainers their fishing rods to use to catch Water Type Pokémon. "Here!" Rodman called, handing Ash the blue and orange rod, while Yuki the silver one. Once they were all given their fishing rods, everyone was ready to fish as the Kanto trainer grew determined.

"No doubt that I'm going to be the one to catch that golden Magikarp!" Ash assured with a grin. "We'll see about that! It will be me!" Clemont declared. The Hawlucha let out a scoff, before making a challenge to the two. "You two talk big, but can you back it up? Hawlucha and I will be the one to catch that rare Pokémon!" Yuki declared.

"Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha cheered on with a grin. "No way! You can do it, big brother!" "Pika Pi!" Bonnie and Pikachu cheered, as they cheered for both Clemont and Ash. Just then, the Hawlucha Boy noticed the Vaniville girl fidgeting over her fishing rod. "Is something wrong, Serena?" Yuki asked. Serena blinked, before making her answer.

Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie all turned their attention to the girl as well. "Uh... You see... I've never fished before..." Serena explained nervously. "Oh yeah? No prob! I'll teach you!" Ash offered. "Oh! Would you please?" Serena asked. With that said, the Kanto trainer brought his lure back, so that he could teach the Vaniville girl.

"First, bring your rod all the way back... like this!" Ash called. He held his rod up high, preparing to send his lure back into the ocean. "Then, fling it as far as you can!" Ash added. "Throw your lure, he means." Yuki added along. With the explanation, the Vaniville girl held her fishing rod back, high into the air. "Like this?" Serena asked.

"Farther!" Ash called. "How is this...!?" Serena grunted as her rod was higher and further back. "That's good! Now you cast your line towards the ocean!" Yuki advised. "Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha replied along. With the instruction said, the Vaniville girl threw her lure into the ocean very far, much to the others' amazement.

"Nice one!" Ash complimented. "You definitely do have the potential!" Clemont added. "Wow! You think so?" Serena asked, feeling hopeful. "We all think so, Serena..." Yuki grunted as he waited for a Pokémon. "Hawlucha..." Hawlucha sighed, already impatient and bored, causing him to kick some sand into the water.

Meanwhile, for Bonnie, she happily went over to the Water Gun Pokémon, greeting him in her most cheerful way. "Hello there! It's really nice to meet you!" Bonnie greeted. But right after she greeted Clauncher, the Water Gun Pokémon just scoffed and scuttled away from Bonnie, much to her disappointment. "Huh? Oh..." Bonnie groaned.

Dedenne appeared out of her small bag, confused to the unfriendly Pokémon's behavior. "Dedenne?" The Electric-Fairy Type asked.

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Tackle, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 38: New Task! Catch Golden Magikarp!**

**Chapter 39: Come Play With Us, Amaura!**

**Chapter 40: The Rescue! Amaura in Danger!**

**Chapter 41: Find the Cussler! Buizel and Skrelp****!**

**Chapter 42: Save the Cussler! VS Team Rocket!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Bonnie: Hi there, Clauncher! Wanna play?... Dedenne and I really want to be your friend!

Rodman: That Clauncher didn't really like to be looked at much, and I can say it's quite timid as well.

Yuki: What the-!? What is this!? This one is really heavy right here! Did we catch it? The golden Magikarp?

Jessie: Will you twerps stay out of our way!? We're the ones that's going to catch the golden Magikarp!

Ash: No way! Not a chance, Team Rocket! You're not going to stop us when we do it first!

Clemont: Look at that! It's a Magikarp, but... The color... It's golden... Ah!


	38. New Task! Catch Golden Magikarp!

**Chapter 38: New Task! Catch Golden Magikarp!**

Last time on "Pokémon Kalos Journey", the four trainers and Bonnie have arrived at Ambrette Town, where Ash and Yuki would have the chance of training their Pokémon, until Serena requested for everyone to head for the Ambrette Aquarium, much to Yuki's annoyance. But, as they got there, they witnessed many types of the Kalos region's Water Type Pokémon.

What they didn't notice however, was that they passed Haruna and Ryuto, who were revealed to be Yuki's younger siblings, with Yuki being the eldest of the Muramoto family. Haruna was desperate to find Yuki, her older brother again as she had missed her chance of seeing him again, despite of Yuki not having any memories about his family and siblings at all.

Back to the group, as they headed outside upon on hearing about the golden Magikarp from an aquarium visitor, they met with the curator and fisherman of the aquarium named Rodman, who explained about the legend of the golden Magikarp, which made everyone determined to fish it out so that the legend they've heard could come true.

So, while Yuki, Ash, Clemont, and Serena aided Rodman for fishing the golden Fish Pokémon, Bonnie and Dedenne were more interested in making friends with the curator's Clauncher, only for them to be rejected coldy even with just their introduction.

* * *

As a few minutes passed, Serena felt something tugging on her rod, which seemed to startle her as she blinked in surprise. "Huh? What's that?" Serena asked, which caught the boys' attention. "A bite! Reel it in quick!" Ash called, which made the Vaniville girl pull as she attempted to pull the object out of the water. "Argh! I'm trying!" Serena grunted as she pulled.

Rodman turned in surprise as he started to become hopeful for the catch. "Oh! Could it be the giant golden Magikarp!?" Rodman asked. At that point, Yuki and Ash ran over, helping Serena pull her catch in. "There's only one way to find out!" Yuki grunted. "We'll give you a hand! Pull!" Ash called. At the order, the three trainers reeled the catch in.

Clemont, Pikachu, Hawlucha, and Rodman watched to see that the catch was not a Magikarp, but a different pink Pokémon! It was a Corsola! "Whoa! It's a Corsola!" Ash pointed out in surprise, much to Serena's joy. "It's so cute!" The Vanville girl squealed. Corsola seemed to have heard the compliment, which caused it to give a smile to the humans.

"La! Corsola!" The Water-Rock Type Pokémon cried out happily. With the sight of seeing the Water Type out, it gave the Kanto trainer an idea. "Serena! Why don't you battle Corsola and catch it?" Ash suggested, catching his old friend's attention. "If you want to catch it, you should battle it right away!" Clemont agreed, agreeing with Ash's suggestion.

Yuki and Hawlucha just watched as the Vanivlle girl smiled in determination. "Right! Okay, Fennekin! Come on out!" Serena called, as she summoned her Fire Type starter out to the field. The Fox Pokémon let out a yip, ready for a battle, until Corsola shot a Water Gun attack! The sight of water frightened Fennekin as she whimpered and ran off, forcing her to hide behind Serena.

The Water Gun followed, splashing right where Serena was standing! "EEEEK!" Serena screamed as she felt the cold water splashed into her face. The Hawlucha Boy and his partner sweat dropped, knowing that this was an epic fail that the Vanivlle girl had made. "You've got to be kidding me..." Yuki groaned as he face palmed at seeing Corsola's escape.

"La La Corsola!" Corsola giggled as it dove back into the water, escaping from Serena's catch. At seeing the wild Pokémon disappear, Ash and Clemont began to scold the Fire Type for running away at the start of battle. "You shouldn't have run away like that, Fennekin." Ash reminded with a frown. "You should've battled with it instead!" Clemont added with a frown as well.

At this, Fennekin began to pout, turning her head away from the two boys. "Fen Fen Fennekin..." The Fire Type muttered, until she opened her eyes to see Hawlucha staring at her in disappointment. "Hawlucha..." The Wrestling Pokémon groaned with a shake of his head. "F-Fen!?" Fennekin yelped in shock, seeing that her crush was disappointed in her.

She began to sulk until Serena assured that it was okay. "Well, it was all a bit sudden... Next time for sure!" Serena promised. "Fennekin!" Fennekin yipped in agreement, as Yuki scoffed a little. "That is, if there is a next time..." Yuki sighed silently, as he kept his eyes onto the ocean. "Hawlucha Haw..." Hawlucha agreed with a mutter of disappointment.

Meanwhile, while the trainers and Rodman were fishing, Clauncher was standing on the sand alone, watching the sea in front of him, until he felt something towering over him, which caused him to turn... and see Bonnie right in front of him! "Wanna play?" Bonnie asked. "CLAAAUNCH!?" Clauncher screamed in shock as he didn't see the little girl coming to him!

But, knowing that the girl was harmless, the grumpy Water Type turned his attention to see Dedenne attempting to tease him by poking his claws with its tail! Annoyed, Clauncher glared at Dedenne annoyingly, which seemed to be have startled the little Mouse Pokémon. When the glare stopped, Dedenne poked Clauncher by the tail once more, which caused it to gain another glare from the Water Type.

Not intimidated by it again, the little Electric-Fairy Type attempted to try again, only for its tail to grabbed tightly by Clauncher's claws! Both Yuki and Hawlucha watched to see Dedenne flailing, crying that his tail was being grabbed at painfully. "Hey! Stop fighting! Both of you!" Bonnie scolded, only for Dedenne to shock Clauncher with a Thundershock!

The Hawlucha Boy watched in amusement with his Fighting Type partner to see the squabbling continue between Clauncher and Dedenne as Bonnie attempted to make peace between the two. "Dedenne! Stop it now!" Bonnie cried annoyingly. At the order, the Electric Type attack stopped, only for Clauncher to throw it high up in the air!

Angry for being shocked, the Water Gun Pokémon shot a Water Gun attack at the Antenna Pokémon, slamming it under the sand. "Dedenne!" Bonnie cried as she ran over, pulling her little Antenna Pokémon out of the sand. With all the squabbling going on, Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Rodman all turned their attention to Clauncher with the curator scolding his Pokémon.

"Clauncher... Now you know better than to attack an aquarium visitor's Pokémon!" Rodman scolded, which Clauncher only scoffed at. It turned its head away coolly, which seemed to look like it didn't care of what its owner thought of it anymore. "Is it always like that?" Yuki asked with a sweat drop, as the curator chuckled nervously, before he explained.

"Clauncher could be a little friendlier, I guess... It originally lived in the aquarium, so anyone who visited us here could watch and interact with it! But Clauncher didn't like to be looked at that way... It lost its appetite, and I could tell it was getting sadder and sadder. So, I decided to make it my Pokémon instead! Fortunately, it's fine with just the two of us!" Rodman explained.

"I see..." Ash replied, understanding what the Water Type could be feeling. Yuki, on the other hand kept his eyes on the cold Water Gun Pokémon, who glared at Dedenne to stay away, who wanted to get closer to it. "Dedenne!" Bonnie called, causing the Electric-Fairy Type to run over to the little girl. It ran into her arms, as she let out a sigh and a giggle.

"Oh you... Hm hm!" Bonnie giggled as she nuzzled her little friend by the cheeks, only to be shocked by the affectionate Antenna Pokémon's Nuzzle attack! Bonnie let out a shriek as she felt numb before she fell to the ground, stunned by the surprise attack. "Bonnie... I told you that Dedenne's Nuzzle was dangerous, remember?" Clemont chuckled nervously.

The little sister moaned before she apologized nervously. "Sorry... My brain's numb..." Bonnie moaned, causing both Yuki and Hawlucha to snicker a little. But just as they were enjoying the awkward moment between Bonnie and Dedenne, the Hawlucha Boy felt something tugging on his line! "Whoop! I've got a bite! And it's a strong one, too!" Yuki grunted.

He held onto his fishing rod, as he attempted to reel his catch in. Hawlucha held his legs in case if his human friend were to slip or be pulled away by the catch. "Could it be it!? The golden Magikarp!?" Ash exclaimed excitedly. Serena, Bonnie, Rodman, and Clemont turned their attention, all having their hopes up for Yuki and Hawlucha's catch.

But just as the Hawlucha Boy and his Wrestling Pokémon were pulling their hardest, the fishing rod went lax, causing Yuki and Hawlucha to stop pulling. At that moment, a figure jumped out of the water, blasting the Fighting duo with a Water Gun attack! "GAH- Ulp!" Yuki yelped, before some of the water went inside his mouth, causing him to gag a little.

Hawlucha yelped in shock as he was soaked as well, causing him to shake the water off of him as he glared to where the figure had landed. Everyone watched in shock to see who the culprit was. It was a wild Buizel! And it had a mischievous look on its face. "Whoa! It's a wild Buizel!" Ash pointed out in amazement. "It's so cute, too!" Bonnie squealed in joy.

The Hawlucha Boy took out his Kalos Pokédex, and scanned the Sea Weasel Pokémon. _"Buizel, the Sea Weasel Pokémon. Buizel's collar can be used as a flotation device when inflated. Its head stays above water when floating."_ Yuki's Pokédex buzzed. "So... you're the little prankster that sprayed us with water, huh?" Yuki said annoyingly as he glared at his soaked clothes.

"Bui..." Buizel snickered as he made a come motion with his paw, which seemed to be like a battle challenge! "What's Buizel doing?" Serena asked. "I think it's challenging Hawlucha to a Pokémon battle!" Clemont guessed. His guess was proven right as the mischievous Buizel shot another Water Gun attack at the Fighting duo, causing the two of them to dodge out of the way.

At the challenge, the Hawlucha Boy smirked as he glared at the Sea Weasel Pokémon once more. "Alright... If it's a battle you want, we'll give you one that you'll never forget! Hawlucha, get him back with a Karate Chop attack!" Yuki called. Hawlucha let out a battle cry as he quickly flew towards the Water Type, slamming his Karate Chop attack on Buizel's stomach!

The mischievous Water Type yelped in pain before it angrily countered back, by shooting water at Hawlucha! It splashed onto the Wrestling Pokémon, with steam coming out of him! "HAAAW!" Hawlucha screamed as he felt the burn on his body. "What the...!?" Yuki gasped in surprise as the others gasped as well. "That was Buizel's Scald attack!" Clemont pointed out.

Recovering from the burn from Scald, Hawlucha angrily glared at Buizel, who stuck its tongue out at him and his human partner. "Tch... This isn't a game! Hawlucha, pay him back with a Focus Blast attack!" Yuki snapped angrily. Sharing with Yuki's anger, the Wrestling Pokémon flew in the air, focusing on its attack to shoot an energy ball at the Sea Weasel Pokémon.

The ball exploded on Buizel, causing it to yell in pain before it fell back into the water. At the direct hit, the Buizel glared at the Fighting duo, looking like it wanted to keep fighting. But then, its ears perked as he turned back to the sea. He gave another glance at the Fighting duo before he dove back into the water, escaping from Yuki's catch.

While Ash, Clemont, Serena, and Rodman were surprised by the escape, Yuki and Hawlucha sweat dropped by the quick escape. "Huh?... That's it? Just two hits and that Buizel calls it quits? What's the deal?" Yuki asked annoyingly. "Hawlucha Haw..." Hawlucha grumbled annoyingly, realizing that his opponent escaped from the battle, making it a forfeit.

"I guess I should say... The winner of this battle goes to Yuki and Hawlucha, since Buizel has forfeited?" Clemont asked nervously, as Ash and Serena laughed nervously at the Fighting duo's failure to capture a new teammate for their team.

**Later...**

"Tch... I still can't believe it swam off rather than staying to fight..." Yuki grumbled as he held his fishing rod once again, this time while sitting on the rock he was standing on. Ten minutes had passed after the mischievous Sea Weasel Pokémon had escaped from Yuki's grasp as the group and Rodman continued their goal of fishing the golden Magikarp.

Clemont, on the other hand, seemed to be building a new invention of his, which Bonnie seemed to notice. "Hey, Clemont! What are you making there anyway?" Bonnie asked in curiosity. Instead of answering the question, the Lumiose Gym Leader smirked at his accomplishment of his new invention. "All done!" Clemont called, catching Ash, Yuki, and Serena's attention.

"The future is now, thanks to science! Clemontic Gear, on!" Clemont declared as he revealed his invention to his friends and the curator. "It's named... **'The No-Need-for-Water-type-Pokémon-Food-Chinchou-Model-Magikarp-Magnet'**!" Clemont explained. The little sister sweat dropped at the name as she said it to her big brother.

"Your names are pretty boring, but they say it all..." Bonnie sighed in disappointment as Clemont began to explain of the invention's use. "A sound wave inaudible to people will emit from Chinchou's antennae all the way down to the bottom of the ocean!" Clemont explained. He imagined of what success his invention might be when the Magikarp are attracted to it.

"That sound wave has a naturally soothing effect on Magikarp. So, they will be attracted to, and gather around my wonderful device! And that's when we'll reel them all in!" Clemont explained in assurance, much to the Hawlucha Boy's doubt and the Kanto trainer's excitement. "Wow... Science is so amazing!" Ash complimented as Yuki sighed.

"But... Won't the sound waves attract other Water Type Pokémon, too?" Yuki asked, with Hawlucha folding his arms in doubt as well. "Lucha...?" Hawlucha questioned, making the Lumiose Gym Leader sneer in confidence. "No need to worry, Yuki! I made perfectly sure that this device will only attract one type of Water Type Pokémon, and that will be Magikarp!" Clemont assured.

Despite the assurance, the Fighting duo together were still unsure about the device's use. _"We'll see about that, once it drops into the ocean..." _Yuki thought as he sat back on the rock once more, with his Fighting Type partner sitting next to him. "You're a genius to make up something like that, Clemont!" Rodman complimented along, much to Clemont's embarrassment.

"Aw, shucks... You flatter me. Let's get to it! Power on!" Clemont smirked as he turned to the ocean. He activated the device once he had thrown it into the ocean, where it was near the shore. Then, everyone waited as the antennae did its work, sending sound waves in order to attract the Magikarp. But what Yuki saw made him frown in confusion.

"Clemont... Are you really, really sure that it's supposed to attract the Magikarps only?" Yuki asked as he narrowed his eyes to take a closer look. The inventor blinked in confusion before he confirmed his answer once again. "Why, yes I did! Why do you ask, Yuki?" Clemont asked as the Hawlucha Boy pointed to where large fins surrounded the device.

"Then what is that? That large, dark fin over there?" Yuki asked, pointing to where the fins were. Everyone turned their attention back to the ocean where they saw the dark fins as well. "Oh! Is that a Magikarp?" Serena asked eagerly, as Rodman shook his head with another thought in mind. "I don't think so..." Rodman answered, until one fin popped up!

It revealed a familiar Hoenn Pokémon, which Ash recognized. "Ah! It's a Sharpedo!" Ash gasped in shock. At the mention of its name, the Sharpedo blasted a Water Gun attack, right where Yuki, Hawlucha, Ash, and Serena were standing! The three trainers and the Wrestling Pokémon yelped in shock as all they dove to opposite sides to safety.

Then, once the attack missed, everyone witnessed the destruction of Clemont's new invention as the fins slammed against the invention. Due to the effect of the Sharpedo's Rough Skin ability, the multiple hits created some serious damage to the machine, causing it to explode in the water! The controller Clemont held exploded as well, due to the device exploding.

**BOOM!**

Clemont was dazed by the explosion, with his hair all puffed up as well. "It didn't work in a big way..." Bonnie commented with a sigh, causing the Lumiose Gym Leader to be confused, while still dazed at the same time. "It shouldn't have attracted them... just Magikarp..." Clemont groaned as everyone nervously laughed to see the Sharpedos swimming away in annoyance.

"Better luck next time, Clemont..." Yuki chuckled nervously. "Hawlucha cha..." Hawlucha smirked along, seeing the puffy hair funny. The Lumiose Gym Leader slumped down, seeing that another one of his inventions had failed him again.

**Later...**

"Ugh... Fishing's kind of boring when you don't get any bites..." Serena admitted with a bored look on her face. "You can say that again... That tricky Buizel and that Corsola were the only ones that took the bait of ours..." Yuki sighed in annoyance with his legs crossed on the rock. "Hawlucha Haw..." Hawlucha grumbled as he glared at the open ocean.

"But, isn't it nice to relax with nothing to do, with all the time in the world to feel the delightful ocean breezes?" Rodman asked, causing Yuki to blink as he felt a small breeze blow into him as he smiled a little. Hawlucha seemed to have felt it too, as the Fighting duo relaxed. "Yeah... I guess you're right, Rodman..." Yuki sighed in relaxation.

"Lucha Haw..." Hawlucha agreed along, feeling relaxed as well. "All done!" Clemont shouted out, startling the duo from relaxing. They both glared to where Clemont had created another invention for the Magikarps. "The future is still now, thanks to science!" Clemont declared, with Bonnie sighing. "It's time for take two!" Bonnie called, believing another failure coming up.

"Clemontic Gear, on! It's named,** 'The This-Time-it-Will-Attract-Only-Magikarp-for-Certain-Lanturn-Model'**!" Clemont declared, causing the little sister to sigh in annoyance. "Your names are still pretty boring, but they do say it all, like them or not..." Bonnie sighed. At the new invention, Serena this time felt doubtful of it, along with Yuki, too.

"You sure this is going to work this time!" Serena asked. "Yes! I just ran extensive tests on the Magikarp in the aquarium, and discovered on which sound wave they prefer!" Clemont explained. The Vaniville girl sighed with Yuki still keeping his eyes on the ocean. "Let's just hope that it doesn't attract other Water Type Pokémon, like Gyarados..." Yuki sighed.

Imagining a Gyarados coming out of the ocean made Hawlucha sigh, but wonder if it will make it a challenge for him in a battle. The Lumiose Gym Leader explained the device's use, which seemed very familiar with the first device. "This improved device will emit a special sound wave down to the bottom of the ocean, basically the same procedure as the Chinchou model!" Clemont explained.

The similar explanation caused the Fighting duo to sweat drop as the Hawlucha Boy face palmed. "That's nearly the exact same thing you said about the Chinchou device..." Yuki sighed in annoyance. "Cha Hawlucha..." Hawlucha replied, patting Yuki's shoulder in comfort. Ash, on the other hand was again amazed at the improved device.

"It's amazing that science is so amazing!" Ash complimented, which seemed to have boosted Clemont's confidence as he prepared to throw it in the ocean. "Let's get started, then!" Clemont declared, until Serena asked a question, still feeling doubtful of this. "You're sure about this?" Serena asked, only for the inventor to get started on the device's use.

"Golden Magikarp, come to me... NOW!" Clemont called as he threw his Lanturn device into the ocean. It soon activated, sending sound waves to attract the Magikarp, while the group and Rodman waited for the catch. A few seconds passed as nothing happened at the moment. "Hm... Nothing seems to be happening..." Serena started.

That was when something started to tug onto Rodman's fishing rod! "Ah! I've got a bite!" Rodman yelped. At the same time, Ash, Yuki, and Clemont's fishing rods were being tugged at as well! "Yeah! So do I!" "I got a pull, too!" Ash and Yuki exclaimed together. "I seem to have a bite, too!" Clemont grunted as he began to pull on his fishing rod.

"Alright! You can do it!" Bonnie cheered. At that moment, Serena's fishing rod was tugged as well! "Hey! I got a bite!" Serena cried out. At that point, everyone began to pull hard, attempting to reel their catch in. "Argh... So... heavy!" Serena grunted as she pulled harder. "Mine's heavy, too! I've never caught something like this before!" Rodman admitted.

"Me... neither!" Ash grunted as he kept pulling. "What the... heck is this...!? It's really strong, and it's resisting... too much!" Yuki grunted as he pulled his fishing rod back. "Hang on, Clemont! Hang on, everybody!" Bonnie cheered, as she attempted to encourage everyone to not give up. But, as seconds passed, the pull was stronger!

It was starting to drag both Ash and Yuki near the ocean! "It's too big for me to hold onto!" Ash grunted as he tried to keep pulling. "Argh...! You're not... the only one... who's... having a hard... time here, Ash...!" Yuki snapped as he increased his strength on holding the rod. "Pika Pika!" "Haw! Hawlucha!" Pikachu and Hawlucha called, cheering on to their trainers.

But then, as the two starters turned to the ocean, something big was coming out to the surface! Everyone opened their eyes to see something coming out as they all noticed on how big it was. "It's huge!" Ash gasped. "Humongous!" Rodman added. "Could we... have caught it?" Clemont asked, feeling hopeful.

The answer was confirmed as the figure was giant, and golden! It was a golden Magikarp! This made everyone yell in shock and widen their eyes at the same time. "WE DID! IT'S THE GOLDEN MAGIKARP!" "PIKA! PIKA PIKA!" "HAW! HAWLUCHA HAW!" Everyone, Pikachu, and Hawlucha shouted out in amazement and awe, as they realized that the legend was true.

"Amazing! It really does exist!" Ash breathed out in amazement. "Pika...!" "Cha..." Pikachu and Hawlucha agreed in amazement. Serena jumped up and down, happy that the catch was a success. "We really caught it! We really caught it!" Serena cheered as she pulled Yuki into a tight hug, startling the Hawlucha Boy in the process.

"Um... Serena?" Yuki gulped, causing the Vaniville girl to open her eyes and see who she was hugging. She blushed as she realized that she hugged the Hawlucha Boy, causing her to shriek and jump away in embarrassment. "EEK! Oh... I... I'm sorry!" Serena apologized, causing the Hawlucha Boy to blush back. "S-Sure..." Yuki replied.

Hawlucha smirked and chuckled a little, believing that his human friend had found a future girlfriend, much to the Hawlucha Boy's annoyance. "Watch it, Hawlucha..." Yuki hissed, as Hawlucha responded with a smirk, teasing his human friend even further. "Excellent! My new device worked!" Clemont exclaimed, to which Bonnie praised at.

"Great job, big brother!" Bonnie praised. Dedenne and even Clauncher were surprised and amazed to see that the catch of the golden Magikarp was a success! The Kanto trainer, on the other hand, turned to his Electric Type partner, determined to catch it. "Alright! Pikachu, are you ready to battle it?" Ash asked. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu confirmed as he got ready to fight.

"This one looks tough. What do you say, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked. "Haw cha cha!" Hawlucha replied, as he got into his fighting stance. But at that moment, the top fin opened up! Three familiar heads popped out of the 'golden Magikarp', shocking everyone in the process, including the two boys and their two starters. It was Team Rocket!

"Pika!?" "No way!" Ash and Pikachu gasped together. "You've got to be kidding!?" "Haw!?" Yuki and Hawlucha gasped together along. At that moment, the evil trio smirked and began their motto!

"Prepare for trouble, 'No way', you say?"

"And make it double, "No kidding, no way'!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of fishing hooks!"

"To extend our denouncing to twerpish crooks!"

"Jessie!"

"And James!"

"Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare for an aquatic fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

At the sight of the evil trio once again, the group glared at their enemies while being shocked at the revelations at the same time. "Team Rocket!?" The group gasped as Jessie glared at the four trainers and Bonnie. She looked obviously annoyed for being dragged out of the ocean by the 'twerps' like a helpless Water Type Pokémon!

"Can't you see we're trying to catch the golden Magikarp! Get yourselves in someone else's way for a change!" Jessie shrieked angrily. "Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet agreed. Tossing his fishing rod away in anger, the Hawlucha Boy clenched his fists at seeing his old enemies. "Do you morons ever give up!? You messed with us big the last time we met!" Yuki snapped angrily.

"Right! You guys are always messing everything up!" Ash agreed, understanding Yuki's annoyance. "Well, who are those guys?" Rodman asked in confusion. "They're bad guys who steal other people's Pokémon!" "Mm hm!" Clemont explained, with his little sister agreeing. Meowth, annoyed at seeing the twerps again noticed Pikachu and Hawlucha and made a plot.

"Let's grab those goons' Pokémon, and show them no one gets in Team Rocket's face!" Meowth snapped, with James sneering. "And getting with Clauncher!" James added as he noticed the Water Gun Pokémon. Jessie seemed to agree with this plan as she made the call. "Down we go..." Jessie smirked. At the order, the trio hid inside their submarine, preparing to attack.

They controlled the mechanical arms, aiming to capture both Dedenne and Clauncher! The claws missed Clauncher as he dodged every grab, with Dedenne getting out of the way! "Speedy Pokémon!" James grunted in annoyance. "Change up! Let's set our sights on Dedenne!" Jessie ordered. With that said, the claws began to target the Antenna Pokémon!

Dedenne let out a scream in shock to see that it was being targeted instead! The claws grabbed the little Electric-Fairy Type Pokémon by the tail, much to Bonnie's dismay. "Dedenne! No!" Bonnie gasped in dismay. "Argh! Hawlucha! Get Dedenne out of there!" Yuki called. "Haw!" Hawlucha replied with a nod. Ash followed along, as he turned to Pikachu.

"You too, Pikachu! Help Dedenne out!" Ash called. But before either Pikachu or Hawlucha could move, Clauncher shot forward and grabbed the arm that was grabbing Dedenne! Everyone watched in surprise as the Water Gun Pokémon quickly spun to break the arm holding Dedenne, causing the Electric-Fairy Type to fall into the ocean.

Dedenne flailed, only to stop when Clauncher appeared, getting the Antenna Pokémon to shore safely. Opening the hatch, Team Rocket was mad to see that the speedy and stubborn Water Type Pokémon were getting in their way! "Argh! Out you, Pumpkaboo!" "You too, Inkay!" Jessie and James called as they summoned their Pokémon out to battle.

"Use Shadow Ball!" Jessie called. Just as Clauncher gave Dedenne back to Bonnie, the Ghost-Grass Type shot her Shadow Ball attack towards Clauncher, to which Rodman warned. "Look out, Clauncher! Dodge it!" Rodman called. Seeing the Shadow Ball coming to his way, Clauncher dodged the attack, with Bonnie and Dedenne getting out of the way.

"Inkay! Psybeam!" James called. The Psychic-Dark Type took his turn, shooting a Psybeam attack towards the Water Gun Pokémon, only for Clauncher to flip back to dodge it! Rodman took this chance to counterattack as he called some moves for Clauncher to make. "Now, use Water Gun!" Rodman called.

At the order, Clauncher shot the Water Gun attack, splashing and knocking Inkay away! Pumpkaboo was next as Rodman pointed to the Ghost Type as well. "Crabhammer, let's go!" Rodman shouted out. Clauncher jumped, slamming his attack right where Pumpkaboo's stomach was! The Ghost-Grass Type yelped in pain as he was knocked away, like Inkay was.

Yuki, Ash, Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie all watched in amazement to see Rodman and Clauncher battling together so well with each other. "Now, use Bubblebeam!" Rodman called. Not giving the opponents the chance to attack, Clauncher launched a Bubblebeam attack, blasting both Inkay and Pumpkaboo back into the sub with the evil trio as well!

Team Rocket yelped as they were forced inside, giving Ash and Yuki the chance to finish them off. "Pika! Pika Pika!" Pikachu called. "Haw! Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha shouted along. Knowing what their partners were saying, the two boys nodded as they turned to the soon defeated Team Rocket. "Yeah! You've got it, buddy! Thunderbolt, let's go!" Ash called.

"Finish them with Focus Blast, Hawlucha!" Yuki shouted along. At the orders, both starters launched their special attacks towards the golden Magikarp submarine, causing it to explode and to send the evil trio flying in the air! "WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" Team Rocket screamed as they were soon out of sight into the blue sky.

Once the evil trio was gone, Bonnie ran over to Clauncher, thanking it for the heroic actions. "Thanks! That was so nice of you to rescue Dedenne!" Bonnie thanked, as Rodman explained with a smile. "Clauncher may be a bit stubborn, but it has a strong sense of justice!" Rodman explained. The explanation was enough to make Clauncher blush and smile at the same time.

Everyone laughed at seeing the usual stubborn Water Gun Pokémon blush in embarrassment, as the afternoon turned to sunset.

**Later...**

Hours passed with the sun setting down. Rodman sighed, seeing that there was no sign of the real golden Magikarp now. "I guess we have to call it a day..." Rodman sighed, as the group walked over. "I'm sorry for all the trouble you had to go through..." Ash apologized, feeling sorry for the curator. "And that we weren't able to help much." Serena added.

"Anyways, thank you for letting us borrow your fishing rods, Rodman..." Yuki thanked, to which the curator smiled at. "You kids go on and keep them! I'm certain that they'll go on in handy someday!" Rodman chuckled. The answer left everyone smile in joy and amazement, as they began to thank the curator for the fishing rods.

"Really? Thank you so much!" Ash thanked with a grin. "We'll take good care of them!" Serena assured, as she held her new fishing rod close. "Thank you so much again, Rodman." "Hawlucha Haw!" Yuki and Hawlucha thanked together. Before Rodman could talk, something splashed out of the water, catching everyone's attention as they turned to see what it was.

It was a Magikarp, but golden! Everyone widened their eyes to see the Magikarp as it splashed back into the water, causing them all to be dazed, shocked, and amazed, all at the same time. "Was... that it!?" Ash exclaimed in amazement. "YEEAAAAH! The legend is really true!" Rodman cheered as he threw his fishing rod in the air, filled with joy.

"Alright!" "Yeah!" Ash, Serena, and Yuki high-fived each other with Clemont and Bonnie cheering together. Pikachu and Hawlucha cheered to see that the legend was true all along as they high-fived each other as well. "It really does exist...!" Clemont exclaimed in amazement. "Happy! Happy! Everyone's happy!" Bonnie cheered, seeing that everyone was smiling and looked happy.

At that, everyone laughed, enjoying the sunset together, until the four trainers and Bonnie got ready to go again. "We gotta go." Ash replied, turning to the curator. "We'll be back!" Bonnie assured with a giggle. Rodman chuckled, as he made his declaration. "Good! And I will have caught the golden Magikarp by the time I see you next!" Rodman promised with a smile.

"Right! Well then, best wishes, Rodman!" Yuki called with a smile. "Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha agreed, making the same smile as his trainer. "Dedenne!" Dedenne called, waving Clauncher goodbye. "Claunch..." Clauncher responded by waving back as well. With the goodbyes said, the group continued their way, heading for Cyllage City once more.

Meeting the golden Magikarp, was something that the group would never forget about, as they soon discovered that the legendary golden Magikarp was real.

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 39: Come Play With Us, Amaura!**

**Chapter 40: The Rescue! Amaura in Danger****!**

**Chapter 41: Find the Cussler! Buizel and Skrelp!**

**Chapter 42: Save the Cussler! VS Team Rocket!**

**Chapter 43: Climb the Wall! Yuki VS Grant!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Alexa: It's been a long time, you guys! I'm here to study about the Pokémon fossils here in this town!

Clemont: Whoa... There are lots of fossils in here... And look at that!

Yuki: It's an Amaura and an Auroross... And this Amaura here seems playful and naive at the same time...

Bonnie: Wow! Amaura feels so nice and cold all at the same time!

Serena: Hm... It feels a bit too cold, to be quite honest...

Ash: Nice to meet you both! Amaura and Auroross!


	39. Come Play With Us, Amaura!

**Chapter 39: Come Play With Us, Amaura!**

**Yuki: Bulbasaur / Heracross VS Ash: Froakie / Fletchling**

"Alright! Froakie, Water Pulse!" "Bulbasaur! Counter that with Razor Leaf!" Both Ash and Yuki cried out their attacks. The two different region starters leapt in the air, both launching their special attacks at each other. While the Bubble Frog Pokémon attacked with Water Pulse, Bulbasaur eliminated the attack with her Razor Leaf attack, causing the two attacks to be cancelled out.

Still in Ambrette Town, the group was settling in the Pokémon Center, where Ash requested for Yuki to battle him so that they could both train for the Cyllage Gym, and for them to face against Grant. The Hawlucha Boy accepted the challenge, and they were soon having a Double Battle with each other.

Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Pikachu, Hawlucha, and Dedenne watched from the sides, as they were all amazed to see that the boys' other Pokémon were improving as they speak. Bulbasaur was able to be more braver in battles than before, while Heracross increased his stamina as well his strength.

"Now, Heracross! Use Megahorn, let's go!" Yuki cried. "Quick, Fletchling! Use Double Team!" Ash countered, attempting to evade the strike. Heracross then shot foward, with his horn glowing, as he targeted the Tiny Robin Pokémon. Fletchling created clones, causing the Bug Type attack to miss, much to the Hawlucha Boy's surprise.

As the Megahorn attack missed Fletchling, the clones disappeared with the real one flying down next to Froakie. "Wow, Fletchling! Your Double Team timing was perfect!" Ash complimented. "Fletch Fletch Fletch!" Fletchling chirped happily, believing it improved since its battle with Viola. "Not bad, Ash. But try this on for size! Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!" Yuki called.

Bulbasaur took a step, before shooting out her vines, attempting to strike Froakie with the pincer attack! "No you don't! Froakie, use Bubble and stop those vines!" Ash called. Froakie nodded and shot a Bubble attack, only for Bulbasaur to deflect most of them! But just as the Bubble attack came faster, some of it hit the Seed Pokémon, knocking it backwards!

"Bulba!?" Bulbasaur shrieked as she skidded back, next to where Heracross was. "Whoa... I didn't see that one coming..." Yuki said, as he wiped a sweat off of his forehead. At the success of the counterattack, Ash began to praise his two Pokémon for their success on their attacks. "Yeah! Just like that!" Ash exclaimed, praising his Water Type.

"Froakie!" Froakie cried out happily, accepting the praise. "You were great too, Fletchling!" Ash complimented, making the Flying Type smile. "Fletchling!" The Tiny Robin Pokémon chirped happily. On Yuki's side, Bulbasaur grew disappointed in herself for letting herself get easily blinded by the Bubble attack.

Yuki smiled at his female Grass Type as he rubbed her bulb, to her surprise. "Nice try, Bulbasaur. A little more work, and you might as well be one of the best Grass Type Pokémon that I know!" Yuki complimented. The compliment caused the little Seed Pokémon to blush, only for it to be brighter as Heracross began to compliment it, too!

"Hera. Heracross." Heracross complimented along with a smile. "Bulba... Bulbasaur..." Bulbasaur moaned, feeling embarrassed by the two compliments she had gotten from her training. The Hawlucha Boy and his Bug-Fighting Type chuckled, seeing how shy their Grass Type comrade was right now. Hawlucha flew over, seeing the training was done well.

"Haw. Hawlucha!" Hawlucha replied, causing his human friend to nod. "Yeah... I agree. With this much training, I'm sure that we'll be able to defeat Grant with no sweat!" Yuki assured, which earned him a nod from his three Pokémon. "Cha!" "Saur!" "Hera!" Yuki's three Pokémon agreed. Just then, there were clapping sounds, catching everyone's attention.

"Those Pokémon are sure looking good!" The familiar figure complimented, as the Kanto trainer smiled. "Alexa!" Ash cried out happily, happy to see his old friend. Yuki smiled as well, seeing that his journalist friend was in the same town as they were. "It's good to see you! It's been a while!" Alexa replied. "Yeah. It has been." Yuki agreed.

* * *

**Pokémon: XY Volt Opening (English Subbed)]**

(Pikachu was shown kissing the screen until he ran with Ash, Yuki, and Hawlucha)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying,**_

(A scene showed a route crossroad, with Meowstic and a group of Swirlix floating by)

_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark, **_

(A grassfield where Vivillon, and Swanna groups are flying at a nearby town)

(Underwater where Water Type were swimming underwater)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were seeing a town from a bridge view)

_**Ice, Normal, Fighting, Fire,**_

(A flower field shows; a group of macarons show; a rainy night shows)

_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy,**_

(The group runs along the route in the city)

_**Come on, from here on out it's an adventure and there's only light ahead**_

(Ash's blue background show him and Pikachu sharing sandwiches together)

_**The sky overflows with a rain of tears but we push through**_

(Serena's pink background show her picking a hat, while Fennekin happily runs around her)

_**Come on, use your courage to be better than you were yesterday**_

(Clemont's blue and yellow background show him inventing a machine before it explodes, while Bonnie runs with Dedenne and Chespin)

_**Treasure any encounter  
****  
Heart's pounding, Challenger!**_

(Yuki's green background shows him and Hawlucha sparring with each other, while Litleo, Heracross, and Bulbasaur cheers)

_**Someday, my dream will be fulfilled **_

(Ash, Yuki, Hawlucha, and Pikachu were running only to be blocked by a huge cliff)

(Silhouettes of Kalos Gym Leaders shine in front of the two)

_**That's what you have taught me, and that's why I travel**_

(Serena place a hand on Ash's left shoulder, Clemont places a hand on Yuki's right shoulder, Bonnie grabs the two's hands together)

(The group runs to the field on their journey)

_**As the red ring of bonds spreads far and wide**_

**_I'll definitely reach out to everyone with this energy I suddenly feel_**

(Ash and Yuki make attack calls; Pikachu and Hawlucha fights and defeat the trainers' Honedge and Pangoro)

_**This blue planet of ours is shining with hope**_

(Clemont calls for attacks; Chespin uses Pin Missile, and Bunnelby uses Dig)

(Bonnie cheers, as Dedenne uses Thundershock)

(Serena calls for an attack; Fennekin uses Ember)

(Yuki calls for attacks; Bulbasaur uses Razor Leaf, Litleo uses Ember, Heracross uses Megahorn, and Hawlucha uses Karate Chop)

_**The yellow flowers bloom**_

(Ash calls for attacks: Froakie uses Water Pulse, Fletchling uses Steel Wing, as Pikachu uses Electro Ball)

(A Mega Evolution sign appears; Mega Lucario roars, sending huge power)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying**_  
_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark**_  
_**Ice, Normal, Fire, Fighting**_  
_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy**_

(Xerneas and Yvetal appears; The Japanese opening title appears)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie smile at the viewers with their Pokémon)

**_[Opening Ends]_**

* * *

"You all look well!" Alexa complimented, seeing the five together. "Thanks!" "Pika!" Ash and Pikachu thanked together. "So, I see that the two of you decided to travel along with Ash and his friends, I see!" Alexa replied, noticing the Hawlucha Boy and the Vaniville girl with Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie. "Right! And so much happened as soon as we made that choice!" Serena explained.

"You don't know what we experienced when we all traveled together. It was wild." Yuki explained, much to Alexa's amusement. "I can imagine!" Alexa giggled as Helioptile jumped off of its trainer. The friendly Electric Type greeted both Pikachu and Hawlucha happily, as the two starters greeted Helioptile back. Dedenne ran over, touching its tail, interested to see a new friend.

But that startled Helioptile as it hissed at Dedenne, while hiding behind its two friends. Dedenne yelped in surprise, causing it to fall backwards. Pikachu quickly ran over, helping his Electric-Fairy Type friend up, much to the Wrestling Pokémon's relief. Dedenne then began to laugh, with his two friends; Pikachu and Hawlucha, with Helioptile joining in as well.

As Yuki watched his Fighting Type partner getting along with Alexa's Helioptile, he raised a question to the Kalos journalist. "So, what are you doing here in Ambrette Town, Alexa?" Yuki asked, catching Alexa's attention. "You and Ash saw Viola at the Battle Chateau, right?" Alexa asked, causing the Kanto trainer and the Hawlucha Boy to blink in realization.

"Oh yeah! Everyone knows on how strong Viola is... But, she still lost to Grant." Ash explained, recalling of Viola and Grant's battle together as fellow Gym Leaders at the Battle Chateau. "That... wasn't easy for her. Poor dear. She does not like losing one bit! Then, Viola told me that your next stop was going to be the Cyllage City Gym!" Viola explained.

"You heard her right. Grant is our next target for our next Kalos Gym Badge, of course." Yuki agreed, remembering when they met Grant and Viola at the same time. He then remembered something that he wanted to know as he raised another question to his journalist friend. "Um, Alexa... Do you happen to know a Trainer named Sama?" Yuki asked, causing Alexa to blink.

"Oh! You mean the trainer from the Sinnoh region with the Chimchar, right? I do know him since he defeated Viola in his Gym battle with her... But I heard that he's training in Cyllage City somewhere, preparing to battle against Grant! That kid may be shy, but he has guts just like you and Ash!" Alexa explained. The Hawlucha Boy smiled softly at that, looking at the sky high, having thoughts about his shy rival.

_"So Sama is already in Cyllage City, huh..."_ Yuki thought. He glanced at Hawlucha, who smirked with a small nod. The Wrestling Pokémon seemed happy to see that his Fire Type rival was doing well, too. "I needed to do some research on the article I've been working on, and... I was hoping to bump into you, so... Voila! Here I am!" Alexa explained with the Lumiose Gym Leader frowning.

"What kind of article?" Clemont asked as the Kalos journalist smiled at the question. "I'm writing about the Fossil Lab!" Alexa explained, catching everyone's interest. "So, what's the Fossil Lab?" Ash asked, as Clemont explained. "The Fossil Lab in Ambrette Town is a very famous facility!" Clemont explained, as his little sister asked along. "What kind of place is a Fossil Lab, anyway?" Bonnie asked.

"It's a place where researchers study the fossils of Pokémon from ancient times! Their goal is to learn as much as they can about how Pokémon lived, then!" Clemont explained, causing Bonnie to frown. "That sounds complicated..." Bonnie mumbled as the Fighting duo chuckled at that. "Ancient Pokémon from ancient times, huh? That sounds kind of interesting..." Yuki said in amusement.

"Lucha..." "Hera. Heracross." "Bulba." His three Pokémon agreed with him there while the Kalos journalist explained about more. "Recently, the researchers made a big discovery! And that's what I'm writing my article about!" Alexa explained, catching the Kanto trainer's attention. "Big discovery, huh? I wonder what it is!" Ash said, as Pikachu leapt onto his shoulder. "Pika?" Pikachu said in wonder.

"I know! Why don't you all come with me if you want? You'll be astounded!" Alexa assured. "Hel!" Helioptile cried out happily, as the group seemed to be wanting to see the discovery. "That'd be great!" Ash answered right back. "Going here would be such a treat!" Clemont added along. "I want to see if there are ancient Pokémon that was discovered during ancient times!" Yuki said eagerly.

"Hawlucha cha!" Hawlucha agreed, until Serena made her question. "But, aren't fossils like bones and rocks and stuff? I don't think I get the appeal..." Serena said, looking unsure for a moment. "You can't be serious, can you?" Clemont asked, before he startled the Vanville girl with facts and opinions. "Don't you see!? Fossils are filled with fun! Not to mention science!" Clemont exclaimed happily, causing Serena to sweat drop.

"Oh... Great!" Serena said nervously, as the Hawlucha Boy sweat dropped. "I'm guessing she only agreed due to being pressured by Mr. Science there..." Yuki whispered to his Pokémon. "Cha..." Hawlucha smirked with a chuckle as both Heracross and Bulbasaur both chuckled together as well. Nevertheless, it was decided as the group would go with Alexa to where the Fossil Lab was.

As they arrived there, they met up with a scientist who would guide them around. "Welcome to the Fossil Lab, everyone! My name is Thaddeus! And I'm a researcher here!" Thaddeus explained, as the four trainers, Bonnie, and Alexa introduced themselves. "I'm Alexa. And I'm a writing the article! It's a pleasure to meet you!" Alexa explained with a bow, as the group gave a small bow, too.

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" The group said together as the researcher smiled with a nod. "The pleasure is all mine. Right this way, please!" Thaddeus called. With the call, everyone headed inside where they arrived inside the lab's lobby. Around them were showing some rocks and fossils, with some skeletons hanging onto the ceilings as an exhibit, as the Lumiose Gym Leader was amazed, by a lot.

"Wow... Look at that! These are all fossils of Pokémon that lived in ancient times!" Clemont cried out in amazement. "So awesome! I can't believe they found so many of these fossils!" Ash said with Pikachu on his shoulder. "Pikachu!" Pikachu said in amazement. The Hawlucha boy and his partner also looked at some fossils, noticing one of their names. "A Jaw Fossil..." Yuki whispered.

Bonnie looked up at a giant fossil that seemed to look like a Dragonite. "Look! Those sure are huge bones, aren't they, Dedenne?" Bonnie asked, only for the little Electric-Fairy Type to hide inside the bag, feeling frightened about the huge skeleton. Serena on the other hand, still didn't feel so interested about the fossils and the special rocks as she frowned at some of them with disinterest.

"Hm... They just look like regular rocks to me... What's so great about them?" Serena asked as she walked off, with Ash running over to Alexa, who's been recording the fossils until the Kanto trainer came over. "Is the big discovery one of the things in here?" Ash asked, with the Kalos journalist shaking her head in denial. "No, it's even more amazing! Just you wait and see!" Alexa assured.

"Loptile!" Helioptile cried in agreement, leaving the Kanto trainer and his Electric Type partner confused. For the Hawlucha boy, he kept his eyes on the fossils, especially the Jaw Fossil as Thaddeus walked over. "Can these fossils restore into a Pokémon?" Yuki asked, with Thaddeus confirming it. "Yes! They can! Why do you ask?" Thaddeus asked. "Well, what does this one become?" Yuki asked, holding out the Jaw Fossil.

The researcher took the fossil from him and explained. "That Fossil can be restored into a Pokémon called Tyrunt!" Thaddeus explained, as the Hawlucha Boy took out his Pokédex to search for the Pokémon. "Tyrunt..." Yuki whispered as he found the data. _"Tyrunt, the Royal Heir Pokémon. When unhappy, Tyrunt will go on an angry rampage. It evolves into Tyrantrum."_ Yuki's Pokédex buzzed.

"Ha ha... Looks like a stubborn Pokémon, doesn't it, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked. He showed the device to the Wrestling Pokémon, who chuckled along, agreeing with the stubborn part. "Um, is there a way to restore this fossil? I may know what the Pokémon may look like, but I want to see the real one for myself!" Yuki explained. "The real Tyrunt, you say?" Thaddeus asked, as the Hawlucha Boy's request caught everyone's attention.

"I'd like to see it, too!" "Pika!" Ash cried out quickly, with Pikachu following along. "I'd like to see the fossil restoration, too! I'm curious to see what it's like!" Clemont admitted. "Me, too! Me, too!" Bonnie piped up. "Dedenne!" Dedenne cried out in agreement. Alexa walked over, smiling as she looked curious, too. "A fossil restoration? That would be just perfect for my new article!" Alexa exclaimed.

Serena didn't seem so interested as she frowned. "I don't know..." Serena started, only for Ash to go up on her face now. "Come on! We just got to see this! This could be your first time of seeing a Pokémon being restored out of a fossil, right?" Ash asked, causing the Vanville girl to shriek, before she calmed down. "Eek! Um... Uh... Yeah! I guess so..." Serena reluctantly agreed.

"In that case, I would like you all to follow me to the Fossil Restoration room!" Thaddeus called as he guided everyone to where they could see researchers and scientists examining the fossils while making data of them as well. Few of them seemed to be preparing for a fossil restoration as Thaddeus explained of what occurs in the restoration. "Ah... Well, this is perfect timing!" Thaddeus said, clearing his throat.

"You see those two putting a fossil inside that giant machine? We use that machine in order to revive a Pokémon that's from ancient times! By putting a fossil inside that machine, it becomes a Pokémon after when we activate it and wait for a few minutes. Then, when the restoration process is complete, a Pokémon from ancient times become born!" Thaddeus explained, amazing both Ash and Clemont.

"Amazing! I just have to see something like this! A Pokémon being born from ancient times!" Clemont exclaimed, as the Kanto trainer grinned as well. "I wonder what kind of Pokémon that fossil is going to become?..." Ash asked, feeling excited about a new Pokémon. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed as everyone watched the machine activating for the fossil restoration to occur.

They watched as a bright light shone from the machine, startling everyone as they covered their eyes, except the scientists in the room since they had special goggles to protect their eyes. "Is it finished yet!?" Bonnie called as the light faded away. The eyes opened to see the doors of the machine open, with a Pokémon coming out. It looked like a hard shell with several claws at the bottom.

"It's a Kabuto!" Ash exclaimed as Serena scanned it with her Pokédex. "Kabuto...? It looks kind of creepy." Serena commented dryly._ "Kabuto, the Shellfish Pokémon. __Kabuto is a Pokémon that has been regenerated from a fossil. However, in extremely rare cases, living examples have been discovered. The Pokémon has not changed at all for 300 million years." _Serena's Pokédex buzzed, while Bonnie squealed at the sight of it.

"Oh wow! It's so cute!" Bonnie squealed happily, causing Yuki and Hawlucha to sweat drop at her happy comments. "Cute...? An ancient Pokémon like Kabuto...?" Yuki muttered as Thaddeus smiled. "Would you all like to see Tyrunt get revived?" Thaddeus asked. "Sure!" Alexa, Ash, Yuki, Clemont, and Bonnie agreed immediately, while the Vaniville girl only gave a small nod of approval.

So, as time passed, the Jaw Fossil was soon inside the machine, preparing to be restored. "Alright everyone. Close your eyes, because this procedure is about to get bright." Thaddeus warned, causing the group and Alexa to cover their eyes. Hawlucha, Helioptile, Pikachu, and Dedenne all covered their eyes too to prevent themselves from being blinded by the bright light.

As the light faded away, everyone opened their eyes to see a big Pokémon that seemed to look like a small T-Rex, but it looked a bit stubborn and grumpy as well. "See, everyone? This is Tyrunt! A Pokémon that is revived by using the Jaw Fossil!" Thaddeus explained, much to everyone's amazement, only for that feeling to fade as there was a loud crash at the room in front of them!

Everyone and Thaddeus all turned in shock to see Tyrunt in an outrage, smashing into things, while biting devices, much to the scientists and researchers' dismay. "Oh no! Tyrunt, no!" Thaddeus gasped as he opened the door to the room where Tyrunt was creating a mess. "Sir! We can't seem to control Tyrunt! It's like... out of control!" A woman researcher gasped as she fell on the ground, shocked by the quick mess.

"TY! TYRUNT TY!" Tyrunt roared as it lashed around, bashing and biting onto many things in the room, causing Thaddeus to grit his teeth. "Quick! Get some Pokéballs and secure Tyrunt inside!" Thaddeus called. Before anyone could move, Yuki stepped up, making his call. "Wait! Let me handle this..." Yuki called, catching everyone's surprise. He walked past the three scientists, despite of Thaddeus trying to protest.

"Wait! It's too dangerous! Tyrunt can bite everything that it sees!" Thaddeus called. "I'm well aware of that..." Yuki assured as he took small steps at the Royal Heir Pokémon. Hawlucha also stood in front of the scientists and prepared to attack in case of Tyrunt was planning to hurt his human friend. "Yuki..." Ash whispered in concern. "Pika..." Pikachu replied, feeling worried for the Hawlucha Boy as well.

"What's going to happen now, Clemont?" Bonnie asked. "I don't know... Let's just hope Yuki doesn't get bitten!" Clemont said, feeling hopeful. "That's just so reckless!" Serena commented as Alexa narrowed her eyes. She remained silent, while Helioptile frowned in concern for the Hawlucha Boy. At the room, Yuki kept making small steps toward the Tyrunt, who noticed him and began to growl.

"Yuki!?" Ash called in shock. "It spotted him!" Serena panicked. "Pika..." Pikachu said, feeling even more worried. Dedenne and Helioptile both watched as Tyrunt kept growling at the Hawlucha Boy. Nonetheless, the Hawlucha Boy remained calm with his face looking serious at the same time. "Tyrunt. I need you to calm down... These people don't want to harm you, you see?" Yuki requested.

Ignoring the request out of both fear and anger, Tyrunt let out a loud roar and charged towards Yuki, who braced himself for impact. "Yuki!?" Bonnie shrieked. "Get out of there, right now!" Clemont yelled. Ignoring the pleading of his friends, Yuki remained put, causing Hawlucha to be bewildered at his partner's actions. "Haw! Hawlucha Cha!" Hawlucha warned, as he tried to call back Yuki.

But the Hawlucha Boy still remained out as Tyrunt suddenly skidded to a stop, right in front of where Yuki was. That left everyone stiff as they all wondered what the Hawlucha Boy might do to the Royal Heir Pokémon. Carefully, Yuki reached out a hand to the growling Tyrunt and placed it on its forehead, before he began running the head, causing Tyrunt to relax and grin at the soft rubbing.

A few minutes has passed as everyone watched in bewilderment to see Yuki rubbing Tyrunt's head continuously, causing the Rock-Dragon Type to relax and roll around in joy. "I... I don't believe this!" Thaddeus admitted in shock. "Whoa! Tyrunt looked like it completely changed..." Serena commented in surprise. "Somehow, Yuki was able to calm it down..." Clemont added in amazement.

Tyrunt moaned in pleasure as Yuki now started to rub on his belly, as the Hawlucha Boy smirked. "How does it feel? Does it feel good, Tyrunt?" Yuki asked. "Ty... Ty... Ty..." Tyrunt moaned as it then fell asleep by all the soft rubbing it took on. Everyone then sighed, seeing that their martial arts friend managed to make it out safely. Soon, Tyrunt was placed on a cage while it was asleep.

"This should keep it from causing any more damage to the lab..." Thaddeus sighed as he guided everyone to another room where a locker was near the doors. "Now then... Before I take you to another room, please put on this cold weather gear!" Thaddeus requested, as he handed out thick coats for everyone to wear, much to the Kanto trainer and Pikachu's confusion. "Cold weather gear?" Ash repeated in question.

Later, as everyone wore their thick coats, Thaddeus guided everyone to a giant dome where it started to get colder for some reason. As the doors to the dome opened, a cold breeze blew out, startling both Ash and Yuki with the sudden cold temperature. "Brrr... Cold!" Ash moaned in dismay. "What's with the ice and the snow? It's like an Ice Age here!" Yuki commented dryly.

"Cha..." Hawlucha stuttered, feeling cold as well before he tried to remain strong about it. "What is this place?" Serena asked. "It's like a gigantic freezer in here!" Clemont commented in amazement. That caused Dedenne to shake, feeling cold as Bonnie gulped. "Freezer? Dedenne? Everything okay?" Bonnie asked. The little Electric-Fairy Type shook by the cold and hid inside Bonnie's cold weather gear.

It certainly did not like the cold at all. "Sorry. We've set the room temperature for the comfort of the Pokémon in here!" Thaddeus explained. "The Pokémon? There are a few that lives here?" Yuki asked as he looked around. Ash on the other hand ran around, until he slipped on the ice, causing him to fall on the ground! "Wha- AH!" The Kanto trainer yelped as he fell on the snowy ground.

Just then, as the Hawlucha Boy and his Wrestling Pokémon ran over to help Ash, they were stopped by footsteps as a figure appeared out of the snowy trees! "Huh? Is that..." Yuki started in surprise as Hawlucha widened his eyes in amazement. "Cha..." Hawlucha whispered in surprise. Out of the snowy forest was a sky-blue Pokémon that seemed to look like a baby dinosaur!

It looked calm as it noticed the humans as it walked over to the fallen Ash and Pikachu as it looked at the Kanto trainer curiously. "Huh...?" "Pika?" Ash and Pikachu asked, until the Pokémon nudged Ash's left cheek with its left cheek as well! At the slight touch, the Kanto trainer let out a yelp of surprise, causing him to quickly flail in the air and rise up as he took a step back from the Pokémon.

"Ah... COLD! What's that!?" Ash shrieked, as Yuki took out a Pokédex. Clemont and the others ran over, witnessing the Pokémon approaching Ash and Yuki. "Who's that Pokémon?" Ash asked. "Wow! An Amaura!" Clemont answered, much to the Kanto trainer's confusion. "Who's Amaura?" Ash asked, as the Hawlucha Boy's Pokédex scanned the ancient Pokémon for the group's questions.

_"Amaura, the Tundra Pokémon. Amaura is an__ ancient Pokémon was restored from part of its body that had been frozen in ice for over 100 million years."_ Yuki's Pokédex buzzed. "Not only that, it's a Pokémon from long ago that was believed to have lived in the frozen area of the Kalos region! Way, way up north!" Clemont explained, much to the Hawlucha Boy's amazement and surprise.

"Guess I was right about the Ice Age part... The north is where all the snow is in Kalos." Yuki replied. "Hawlucha Cha..." Hawlucha agreed, as Thaddeus let out a chuckle. "You're quite well informed! Yes, it's an Amaura! These Pokémon have been extinct since long long, ago!" Thaddeus explained. While he talked, Yuki noticed the Tundra Pokémon all looking at him and the other humans in curiosity.

Just then, there were giants stomping, causing Serena to panic. "Eek! Uh... Uh... What's that!?" Serena shrieked as everyone turned to see a giant Pokémon arriving to where they were! It looked like Amaura, but the sails around its head were bigger and longer than Amaura. And clearly, the size difference between itself and Amaura was completely big. "Aurroooo!" The Pokémon cooed loudly.

"And this is Amaura's evolved form! Aurorus!" Thaddeus declared, introducing the giant Ice-Rock Type Pokémon, as it let out a loud coo once again._ "Aurorus, the Tundra Pokémon, and the evolved form of Amaura. The diamond-shaped crystals on its body expel air as cold as -240 degrees Fahrenheit__, surrounding its enemies and encasing them in ice." _Yuki's Pokédex buzzed once more.

"It's huge!" Bonnie commented. "Tile!" "Dedenne!" Helioptile and Dedenne cried out in amazement. "Wow..." Yuki breathed out in amazement. Even Hawlucha was amazed at the size of the giant Tundra Pokémon as Clemont was even more amazed with this. "Amaura and Aurorus! They're alive!" Clemont pointed out. "This must be the big discovery! Not fossils, but real living Pokémon!" Serena pointed out.

Alexa walked up, with the camera recording for her article about the huge discovery, which was revealed to be two ancient Pokémon: Amaura and Aurorus. "That's right! I want to do some reporting on them!" Alexa explained. "Tile!" Helioptile agreed. Thaddeus smiled, before he began to explain about how the two were discovered during a fossil excavation on a cold mountain.

"Our fossil lab sent out an excavating group that discovered something in a glacier, far to the north!" Thaddeus explained. He recalled of the time when the excavating group found a fossil that looked just like Amaura's sail, making it a Sail Fossil! "And what we restored from that frozen Sail Fossil, was what you know see in front of you!" Thaddeus explained, much to the Lumiose Gym Leader's amazement.

"Incredible! Being able to see a living Amaura and Aurorus with my very own eyes!" Clemont exclaimed in amazement. The Hawlucha Boy smiled at seeing the Tundra Pokémon, causing him to cock his head with curiosity. "Could it be... Aurorus is the mother of Amaura?" Yuki asked. "That's right! It may not look like it, but Auroross is indeed Amaura's mother right here!" Thaddeus explained in confirmation.

Just then, Amaura approached both Ash and Yuki, and nudged the two affectionately, causing the two to smile together. "Ah ha ha! Do you want to play, Amaura?" Ash asked. "Maur!" Amaura said happily with a bright expression on its face. "Me too! Me too!" Bonnie piped up. "Count me in too, Ash." "Hawlucha!" Yuki chuckled, as Hawlucha also voted for some playing around.

"You see, they lived in an area with very few enemies! And as a result, they're very trusting and friendly!" Thaddeus explained as he rubbed Auroross's neck, as Amaura nuzzled both Ash and Yuki, causing them to smile happily to make a new friend. "Yeah! I can tell!" Ash agreed. "Friendly and trusting... I can see that by just approaching it and by looking at it..." Yuki sighed, as Amaura nuzzled Hawlucha this time.

The Wrestling Pokémon slowly hugged Amaura's head back, enjoying the happy company that the little Tundra Pokémon was giving. "Of course you couldn't have known that by just looking at a Fossil!" Clemont commented as Amaura turned to Bonnie and Dedenne this time. "Right! And because we're able to absorb Amaura and Aurorus like this, we may learn a lot from other ancient Pokémon!" Thaddeus agreed.

As he finished, Serena wanted to have a try as she ran over to the naive Ice-Rock Type Pokémon. "I wanna hug, too!" Serena said as Amaura accepted her hug happily, causing the Vaniville girl to giggle happily. "Aw... So cute!" Serena giggled. This time, the Lumiose Gym Leader tried to make an attempt for a nuzzle, too. "May I get a hug as well?" Clemont asked, which Amaura immediately nodded on.

It nuzzled Clemont, as the Lumiose Gym Leader laughed at the affectionate nuzzle the Tundra Pokémon was giving off. "Ah ha ha ha! This is absolutely incredible!" Clemont commented. While the group was having fun with Amaura, Alexa walked over to Thaddeus for some questions and answers. "Thaddeus, can you tell us some of the things you've learned so far from this discovery?" Alexa asked.

"I'd be happy to!" Thaddeus answered. While Viola's sister was asking some questions to the researcher, Yuki, Ash, Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont were all having fun with the young Tundra Pokémon. One of their games was chase as Amaura threw snow at the Fighting duo's face with its head! "Gah! Cold, cold, cold, cold!" Yuki panicked. "Hawlucha Cha Cha Cha!" Hawlucha panicked along.

Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie all laughed at their panicking as the Kanto trainer built a snowball, allowing him to throw it at Amaura! The Tundra Pokémon stopped laughing at the snowballs thrown at itself, as Yuki threw one, too! Amaura felt the small attack again, as it began to give chase to the group. Yuki, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie all laughed as they ran from Amaura with Pikachu and Hawlucha at their side.

The game seemed to have started to get fun, until Serena shook by the cold. "Mm... I feel frozen... It's so cold!" Serena whined, much to Ash's surprise and to Yuki's disappointment. "Huh? Really? Well, not me! I feel warm as toast!" Ash assured, with his Electric Type agreeing with him. "Of course, since he's been running around like crazy!" Serena sighed, while Yuki narrowed his eyes.

"Seriously? We've only been here for a few minutes and you're cold already?" Yuki asked. "Hey! Don't blame me! I wasn't prepared for this cold temperature, okay?" Serena retorted back as Alexa smiled in agreement. "I'm not surprised you're cold. We've been in here for a while! Let's head out and warm up, okay?" Alexa asked. "Hel!" Helioptile agreed, as it felt cold as well by the giant freezing dome.

"Aw... But I still want to play with Amaura!" Bonnie whined. Dedenne didn't seem to feel the same as it hid inside Bonnie's cold weather coat, with Clemont noticing, too. "You've got to think about Dedenne! We have to make sure it doesn't catch a cold!" Clemont reminded, forcing the little sister to admit defeat. "Mm... Amaura, we've got to go... But we'll be back!" Bonnie promised.

She and Clemont ran towards the exit, as Ash ran as well. "Sorry!" Ash called as he and Pikachu followed everyone. "Maur! Amaur!" Amaura called, pleading for the others to come back. Only Yuki and Hawlucha were remaining as they knew that their friends were right to leave the cold dome. The Hawlucha Boy didn't want to admit he was cold as he wanted to bond with Amaura more, but he knew he had to give in.

He turned to the now saddened Amaura, who lowered its head down for seeing its friends now leaving. "Sorry, Amaura... Maybe after we get warmed up, okay?" Yuki asked as he rubbed the Tundra Pokémon's head. Amaura blinked, before looking up at the Hawlucha Boy and his Wrestling Pokémon partner, before it gave them a look of understanding. "Maura..." Amaura cooed sadly, but with understanding.

Yuki nodded back as he and Hawlucha ran out of the cold dome to join their friends to warm up before they were to play with Amaura once again. "Just be patient, Amaura... We'll be back! I promise!" Yuki assured behind him. "Hawlucha Cha..." Hawlucha agreed as the doors to Amaura and Aurorus' cold room closed, causing the cold wind and air to stop freezing everyone that was leaving.

* * *

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 40: The Rescue! Amaura in Danger!**

**Chapter 41: Find the Cussler! Buizel and Skrelp!**

**Chapter 42: Save the Cussler! VS Team Rocket!**

**Chapter 43: Climb the Wall! Yuki VS Grant!**

**Chapter 44: A New Challenge From the Experienced!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: What happened to Amaura!? Team Rocket! Not you guys again! Give Amaura back! What? Tyrunt, wait!

Thaddeus: This is bad! If Amaura is in a high temperature for too long... Then, Amaura will... Amaura won't make it.

Serena: No... Amaura might pass away if it stays in the warm temperature too long? No... No way...

Yuki: Those... imbeciles... They're going to make Amaura suffer in the warm temperature...? I... Argh... ARGH!

Alexa: We'll have to chase after them! They will not get away with stealing the ancient Pokémon with them!

Shadow Yuki: **ARGH! I'm going to enjoy making you bastards pay! Are you prepared to repent for what you did to Amaura?!**


	40. The Rescue! Amaura in Danger!

**Chapter 40: The Rescue! Amaura in Danger!**

Last time on "Pokémon Kalos Journey", Yuki and Ash were battling against each other to train for their Gym battle against Grant, as they remembered on how he managed to defeat Viola. With the training going well, they were approached by none other than Alexa, who knew about Viola's loss to Grant. She also explained the reason why she came to Ambrette Town in the first place.

Alexa explained about a huge discovery that the Ambrette Fossil Lab had discovered, interesting everyone except Serena, who believed fossils were just normal rocks as Alexa guided them to the lab. They were met by Thaddeus, who gave them a tour around the lab, showing the group and journalist several examples of the Pokémon fossils that were discovered and on how they are restored.

But, when a Tyrunt was restored and out of control, Yuki took this chance to calm it down, by soothing it with soothing rubs as everyone was relieved to see the rampaging was over. Thaddeus then guided everyone to a cold dome, where they met a playful Pokémon named Amaura and its mother, Aurorus as the little Tundra Pokémon wanted to play with its new Pokemon and human friends.

But, due to the cold temperature and place everyone was in, they all reluctantly left the dome, leaving Amaura saddened, despite understanding the reason why its new friends needed to leave.

* * *

As the group were enjoying the rest of the tour in the Fossil Lab while warming up, they heard a shrilling noise, coming from someone familiar! "AUURRROOO!" A familiar Pokémon shrieked out loud, startling everyone in the process. "What was that!?" Serena gasped as both the Hawlucha boy and the Kanto trainer recognized the cry, coming from a familiar Pokémon friend of theirs.

"That sounds like Aurorus!" Yuki answered, with Hawlucha frowning as well. Thaddeus widened his eyes as he ran off to where the cold dome is. "This sounds bad! What's going on over there!?" Thaddeus yelled as he ran towards the cold dome, leaving the group and Alexa bewildered to what just occurred. "Thaddeus, wait!" Alexa called as she ran after the worried scientist, causing the group to frown.

"We should go, too!" Ash called. "Right!" "I'm with you there!" "Mm hm!" Bonnie, Clement, and Serena agreed. Yuki nodded along, as he started to have a bad feeling about Amaura. He turned to his Wrestling Pokémon, feeling something sinking into his stomach as his partner gave a glance at him. "Do you feel that, Hawlucha? Do you feel it as well?" Yuki asked, with Hawlucha nodding.

"Haw. Hawlucha." Hawlucha agreed, as he knew that something bad was about to happen. "Yuki! Hawlucha! Come on!" Ash called, calling out to the two. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu cried along, catching the Fighting duo's attention as they both followed their friends to where the sound was coming from. They all headed outside, where they had caught up to Alexa, who was in front of the cold dome doors!

Aurorus seemed to be shrieking with anger and concern as it seemed to be wanting to get out of the cold dome, despite of the men trying to hold her back. "Calm... down!" One of the men said. "You've got to stay right here!" The second men said, as he tried to push the evolved Tundra Pokémon back, only for Aurorus to resist even more! "What's going on!?" Ash asked, as he was surprised to see a large hole on the doors.

"What happened to Amaura and Aurorus!?" Yuki asked along, as he was desperate to know what had happened to both Tundra Pokémon. Another man with the cold proof jacket ran to them, explaining the serious problem. "Argh! It's terrible! Some strange people just carried off Amaura in a truck!" The man said, leaving the group and Alexa shocked at the news. "WHAT!?" Yuki snapped in shock.

"Hawlucha!?" The Wrestling Pokémon said in disbelief. "They did...? No..." Ash breathed out in disbelief. "Amaura..." Serena gasped in concern, as Thaddeus arrived, feeling worried about the condition Amaura could be in. "Oh no...! We have got to recover Amaura right away, or else!" Thaddeus said desperately, leaving Alexa confused as she asked. "What do you mean, or else?" Alexa asked with a frown.

"Ugh... Amaura can't handle warm temperatures! For a short time, it can help keep its body temperature down by producing its own cold air..." Thaddeus started as Yuki frowned. "A short time...? What do you mean by that? What will happen if Amaura can't help herself with the cold air?" Yuki asked, feeling desperate. "Hawlucha... Hawlucha Cha?" Hawlucha asked along, frowning at what the conclusion could be.

"Well... If Amaura is in a warm place for too long..." Thaddeus started again with the Kanto trainer interrupting this time. "If that happens, then what?" Ash asked with a frown. Thaddeus took a deep breath, before finishing his answer. "Amaura will keep on getting weaker... It's in big trouble!" Thaddeus confirmed, causing Yuki to widen his eyes as he felt like his mind has been shot by an arrow.

"You're not... saying... that... Amaura will... Amaura will... pass away?" Yuki breathed out, as he paled by the conclusion, leaving everyone in despair and shock as Bonnie had tears welling up in her eyes. "What does he mean by, pass away, big brother?" Bonnie asked as Clemont bit his lips. "He means... that Amaura could possibly die, from the warm temperatures..." Clemont answered.

"Ah...!" Serena shrieked, covering her mouth in shock as she looked in horror, hearing that a Pokémon could possibly die. Ash on the other hand kept his eyes widened, before he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "No... way... How... How can they do that!?" Ash snapped, angry of what the kidnappers of Amaura were thinking. "We've got to save it! We've got to!" Bonnie snapped.

This made Thaddeus frown as he turned to where the kidnappers took Amaura away. "Huh... But we have no idea which way they went!" Thaddeus said, causing Yuki to grit his teeth with anger. A small amount of dark miasma began to form around Yuki's two hands as anger grew strong, as he glared at the scientist angrily for giving up too quick. He marched up to Thaddeus and snapped at him.

"That's it!? We're in a middle of a critical situation right now, and all you can think of is to just give up!?" Yuki snapped angrily, startling Thaddeus as both Hawlucha and Ash tried to hold him back. "Yuki! Calm down! No one is saying that we're giving up!" Ash assured. "Hawlucha!" Hawlucha piped up, attempting to calm his human friend down, which seemed to have worked as the dark miasma slowly disappeared in his hands.

"Y-Yeah..." Yuki grunted in annoyance as Aurorus suddenly perked up, shrieking with concern and despair. Her veil around her long neck became sky-blue as she tried to get out of the cold dome once more. "AURO! AUURROOO!" Aurorus shrieked as the two scientists tried to keep her in the cold dome. "Calm down! Please!" The first scientist pleaded, only for him to lose his grip.

Aurorus soon escaped from their pull as she stomped outside, with the group bewildered to see Aurorus coming out. "Aurorus! What's wrong!?" Ash called in shock while Yuki widened his eyes in surprise. Aurorus only responded by letting out a loud cry, which echoed in the air the evolved Tundra Pokémon noticed an aurora revealing itself in the sky, causing everyone to notice it as well.

"What's that?" Bonnie asked in curiosity. "An aurora...?" Alexa said in disbelief as Thaddeus stepped up, knowing what it could be. "Amaura is creating that!" Thaddeus pointed, catching everyone's attention. "When Amaura cries, it affects the magnetic waves in the upper atmosphere and an aurora appears!" Thaddeus explained as Clemont watched, before making his guess.

"So, that means... Amaura is somewhere over in the direction of that aurora, correct?" Clement asked, with the scientist confirming it. "Correct." Thaddeus answered, until Aurorus let out a loud cry, before stomping after the aurora! Everyone watched in shock to see the evolved Tundra Pokémon moving ahead. "Aurorus!" Thaddeus called, until Serena knew what Aurorus was thinking about.

"Aurorus knows that Amaura needs help!" Serena pointed out, as Thaddeus tried to warn Aurorus about her same condition with Amaura. "But, its too dangerous!" Thaddeus called as Yuki dashed around, running besides Aurorus, with Hawlucha at his side. "Yuki! Where are you going!?" Ash called as the Hawlucha Boy turned back a little, explaining his intentions to the others while running.

"Where do you think, Ash!? I'm going to help Amaura escape from those crooks, no matter what! Aurorus is feeling the same, so that's why I'm going with her!" Yuki called as he kept running. "Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha agreed with a determined look on his face. At the answer, the zkanto trainer knew that his Kalos friend was right as he turned to Thaddeus with his decision and assurance to him.

"We'll go with Aurorus, too! We've got to do something, quick! We've got to save Amaura!" Ash called. "Right!" "Okay!" Clement, Serena, and Bonnie all agreed together. The four all ran after their martial arts friend and his partner, with Aurorus at their side. As they were running ahead, Alexa also knew what needed to be done. "Both Yuki and Ash are right! Let's go along with Aurorus!" Alexa called.

"Hel!" Helioptile cried out its agreement as the Lumiose reporter ran with the four trainers, Bonnie, and Amaura as she made her request to the scientists behind her. "When we find Amaura, we'll need help to bring them back! So, be ready!" Alexa called as Thaddeus nodded in agreement. "Will do!" Thaddeus called as he ordered his men inside to prepare for retrieving Amaura.

But suddenly, to their surprise, something passed them, dashing out of the lab as well! They all turned to see a familiar Royal Heir Pokémon running towards the group and Aurorus. "Tyrunt!?" One scientist gasped. "How did he get out from here!?" The second one gasped as Thaddeus frowned to the Rock-Dragon Type's decision. "He's following the kids..." Thaddeus whispered in surprise and a frown.

**Later...**

The sun was coming down as the group made chase for the Amaura kidnappers as they stopped, due to Aurorus suddenly stopping in her tracks. "Aurorus, what's up?" Ash asked as Serena widened her eyes at the sky. "What's happening to the aurora?" Serena asked as everyone looked up to see it fading away. "It's disappearing...!" Bonnie pointed, causing Yuki to widen his eyes in shock.

"What does that mean!?" Ash asked as Clemont made the answer. "Since the aurora is produced by Amaura's cries, it can't mean anything good!" Clemont answered, causing the Hawlucha Boy to glance back at the Lumiose Gym Leader. "Hold on... you're not referring to that Amaura is... dying?" Yuki asked, as the Gym Leader immediately denied the accusation. "That's not what I'm trying to say!" Clemont protested.

"We're just saying that without the cold, something bad must be happening." Alexa explained, causing Bonnie to frown in worry. At this, the Kanto trainer placed a hand on Aurorus' body, catching the Tundra Pokémon's surprise as he made a promise to her. "Don't worry, Aurorus! We'll get Amaura back safely, no doubt!" Ash assured. "Pikachu!" Pikachu assured along. This made only Yuki frown even more.

"And how do you think we can keep that promise? We don't even know if Amaura is doing well now, no thanks to the aurora disappearing all of a sudden!" Yuki snapped, clenching his fists, while falling to his knees. Hawlucha gave a glance at his human friend, unsure on how to respond to this question. "Hawlucha..." The Wrestling Pokemon said soothingly, as he gave Yuki a few pats on the back.

"Yuki..." Serena said in worry as both Alexa and Clemont knew of how the Hawlucha Boy was feeling. "Right now... Amaura... She could be suffering... Suffering due to the heat that's surrounding her and making her feel weak!" Yuki said, as thoughts about Amaura dying came to his mind. "Yuki..." Ash said, before he walked over to the Hawlucha Boy, facing him as Yuki gave a glance up at him.

He watched as his Kanto friend offered a hand to him, while giving a small smile at the same time. "Would Amaura want to see you this way, Yuki? You're its friend, right? A friend should always believe in another friend, so that the situation can be more than just alright! If you don't believe in him or her, then... There will always be a high chance that that friend would not be okay." Ash explained.

The others watched in amazement as Yuki made quick thoughts about on how Amaura felt about this. Then, after a few seconds, the Hawlucha Boy took Ash's hand, accepting it as he rose up, before making a small hint of a smile on his face, while sighing at the same time. "I... I guess you're right... I shouldn't be acting like this right now, especially when Amaura is in danger..." Yuki agreed, despite of it sounding reluctant.

Both Ash and Hawlucha smiled at his answer, as the others seemed relieved to hear Yuki say those words. Suddenly, before anyone could move or react, Bonnie felt something nudging her from behind! She slowly turned to see Tyrunt staring at her! "Eek! It's... it's Tyrunt!" Bonnie shrieked, catching everyone's surprise as they turned to see that the Royal Heir Pokémon had followed them from the lab!

"Isn't that...?" Serena asked. "Yeah! I think it must be the Tyrunt that Yuki calmed down back at the Fossil Lab!" Clemont pointed out. "But, what's it doing here?" Ash asked, confused with the sudden appearance. Tyrunt let out several grunts and growls, as if he was trying to explain his reason for being here. Whatever it was, Aurorus seemed to understand as she smiled thankfully at Tyrunt and nodded in approval.

"I think it must be... it's because that it also knew that Amaura was in danger and it came to help us! Is that right?" Yuki asked, which Tyrunt confirmed with a small grin and a nod. "Oh wow!" Bonnie exclaimed happily. "Well, this is certainly a surprise!" Alexa admitted with a smile. "Wow, really? Thanks a lot, Tyrunt!" Ash thanked as Tyrunt nodded again, feeling happy to be helpful.

"Okay... No time to waste! We have to move! Amaura needs our help right now!" Yuki called. "Right!" The others agreed loudly. Pikachu, Hawlucha, Tyrunt, and Aurorus also agreed with Yuki's words as they all moved to catch up to the truck that had Amaura inside. But as soon as they kept moving, the evening orange sky soon turned into the dark, night sky. It only had a little light, due to the bright moonlight.

Once again, they were stopped as they were blocked by a river that was crossing their path. "The road stops here..." Alexa pointed out with a frown. "But, which way did the truck go?" Ash asked as Yuki narrowed his eyes while biting his lips. "You don't think we... made a wrong turn?" Yuki asked, causing the others to frown at the question, as Bonnie was more worried about what's happening to Amaura.

"We've got to find Amaura!" Bonnie said sadly. Tyrunt carefully looked around to see if they could take a path that could allow them to get past the river. Unfortunately, there was nothing on his right or left, making it futile to look for something that could get them across. "Damn it...! Just when I thought that things could get better... We were stopped again!" Yuki grunted with gritted teeth.

Then suddenly, Aurorus rose her front legs in the air, as if she was preparing to do something that could help them with the situation they had! Ash caught sight of this and turned to the evolved Tundra Pokémon. The others caught sight of this as Serena widened her eyes at the sight. "Aurorus...?" Serena called. "What is it?" Ash asked in concern as Aurorus took a deep breath.

She released her deep breath by letting out a loud cry, calling for her child. "AURRROOOOO!" Aurorus cried loudly, in hope to get Amaura's attention. Once again, she let out her cry again, not giving up as she made it louder this time! The humans and the other Pokémon watched as the evolved Tundra Pokémon did her work, only to get nothing as Alexa knew what the Ice-Rock Type was doing.

"She's calling out to Amaura!" Alexa pointed out. "I wonder if Amaura hears Aurorus...?" Bonnie asked, hoping that it would work. The big brother walked up to her from behind and held her small shoulders, as he felt the same thing. "We can only hope that it's loud enough." Clemont said as Yuki kept his eyes on the sky. _"Come on, Amaura... Answer your mother's call!" _Yuki thought desperately.

"It has to be...!" Serena said, feeling hopeful as well. "Amaura!" Ash called weakly, knowing that it wouldn't work. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu called, feeling hopeful for his Ice-Rock Type friend, too. "Hawlucha..." "Ty! Tyrunt!" Both Hawlucha and Tyrunt were hopeful as well as the mother Ice-Rock Type tried again. "AURRROOOO!" Aurorus cried loudly, even louder than before! "Amaura! Please answer!" Ash pleaded.

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu pleaded along. "RROOOOOO!" Aurorus cried again in her last attempt._ "Amaura... You have to stay strong We're not far from you! We just need your signal! Please! Respond to our call!" _Yuki pleaded in his thoughts as he clapped his hands together and closed his eyes, looking like he was praying. Unknown to him and the others, he began to glow a little, with a glint of light.

As he prayed, he let his thoughts pray for him, until he heard a familiar cry in his mind. "Mauuuraa!" Amaura's voice echoed in his head, as Yuki widened his eyes in surprise as he looked back at the night sky, only to see an aurora flowing in the night sky, much to Aurorus' relief and joy. "Look! The aurora is back!" Serena pointed out happily. "Amaura must've heard your voice!" Ash exclaimed as Aurorus smiled in relief.

"Yeah... but, it's across the river-" Yuki started, until a medium amount of cold air shook everyone and the Pokémon as they got out of the way to see Aurorus freezing the river completely, enough to allow everyone to cross the river, as an icy bridge! "Aurorus froze the whole river!" Serena pointed out in amazement. "Way to go, Aurorus!" Ash complimented, as Tyrunt could only gape in amazement.

With the frozen river supporting their combined weight, the group and the Pokémon all crossed the ice cautiously to prevent themselves from slipping as they made it across, allowing them to run to where the kidnappers were! They ran as fast as they could as Hawlucha gave a glance at the sky, only to widen his eyes as the slowly disappearing aurora! "Haw! Hawlucha!" Hawlucha snapped for attention.

At the Wrestling Pokémon's cry, Serena looked at the sky to see the aurora disappearing completely! "The aurora is fading!" Serena pointed out in shock, forcing the Hawlucha Boy to move as fast as he could. "Amaura is getting weaker and weaker! It doesn't have much time left!" Yuki grunted desperately. "Yeah! But Amaura has got to be close by!" Clemont reminded as he tried to keep up the pace.

Soon, as the group kept running, they all noticed something up ahead, which was soon revealed to be a truck! There were two people and a familiar Pokémon near the truck, as they were currently fixing up their tire! Both Yuki and Ash angrily confronted them, demanding them to answer their questions. "Alright! You've got to be the ones who stole Amaura! Who are you!?" Ash demanded angrily.

"Wait a second... Oh no... Not you idiots again!" Yuki complained, as he knew who the two people and the Pokémon was. At the complaint and the angry demand, the trio turned and began their motto!

"Prepare for trouble, you know us well!"

"With our style, you should've been able to tell!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"And James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare for a well-researched fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Team Rocket! I should've known you would do something like this!" Ash yelled in annoyance. "Give us back Amaura!" Serena demanded along, only to be denied quickly. "Dream on, twerpette! Amaura is a very precious restored ancient Pokémon!" Jessie sneered with arrogance. "One that will be put to good use!" James added as the Hawlucha boy angrily pointed at them.

"Argh! You pathetic bunch just don't know when to quit, do you!? Do you even realize the danger you're putting Amaura in!?" Yuki snapped angrily. "Ha! The only danger you're in, twerp, is my claws that's ready to tear you apart! Because Amaura is staying here with us!" Meowth taunted as Ash stepped besides Yuki. "We won't let you!" Ash hissed. "Pika!" Pikachu hissed along in agreement.

Jessie only gave an amused smirk as she prepared for battle. "Then let's see what you've got, twerp!" Jessie taunted as Wobbuffet stepped in front of her! Hawlucha and Tyrunt stepped up, ready to fight. Clemont then reminded the two boys of the time they only have at the moment in order to retrieve Amaura from the evil trio. "Ash! Yuki! We've got to hurry! Let's do this fast!" Clemont called.

"Right! This shouldn't take too long, especially with these three!" Yuki agreed angrily as Jessie and James glared at their enemies, offended of what the Hawlucha Boy said. "What did you say!?" Jessie shrieked angrily. "Only in your dreams, twerp!" James added annoyingly. "Alright, Chespin! Let's go!" Clemont called as he summoned his Grass Type out for battle. "Okay, Inkay! Out!" James called along.

The Dark-Psychic Type was about to be summoned, only for Tyrunt to jump in the air and give it a strong Bite attack! Inkay screamed in pain as he was smashed to the ground and thrown away by force of Tyrunt's quick attack. "Ah! Inkay!" James gasped as Tyrunt dug his right foot on the ground, hissing as he prepared to make another attack. Clemont smiled at this and turned to his Grass Type for an attack.

"Nice one! Now Chespin, use Pin Missile!" Clemont called. At the call, the Kalos Grass Type starter launched some super effective needles on Inkay, causing it to float in pain! While Clemont and Tyrunt was battling James, Alexa and Bonnie quickly walked towards the truck to retrieve Amaura. "Quietly!" Alexa called, only for her and Bonnie to be quickly discovered by Meowth, who looked ready to pounce.

"Oh no you don't! Amaura belongs to us, Team Rocket!" Meowth sneered. Both Yuki and Serena stepped up, with Hawlucha at their side! "Out of our way! We don't have the time! Fennekin, let's go!" Serena called. The Fire Type starter appeared, glaring at Meowth alongside with Hawlucha! "Eat this! Hawlucha, give him your Focus Blast attack!" "Alright! Hidden Power!" Yuki and Serena yelled together.

Both Hawlucha and Fennekin launched their special attacks at Meowth, only for the crafty Team Rocket member to slash them to bits with Fury Swipes! "HAH! You and your furball are out of luck! That includes you, you stupid twerp!" Meowth yelled arrogantly, increasing Yuki's anger at the moment. "I'm warning you for the last time, Meowth... Get out of our way, NOW!" Yuki snapped angrily.

"If you think you can threaten me with your threats, twerp, then it won't work! As I said before, Amaura is a part of Team Rocket now, you dig!? And there's nothing you twerps can do except watch as we make it one of us!" Meowth taunted while laughing, as he prepared his claws for another Fury Swipes attack. "Give it up!" Meowth hissed, only for his hissing to stop as he watched Yuki's face darken.

Hatred and anger began to build inside the the Hawlucha Boy, as Hawlucha turned to see Yuki trembling with anger. "How... dare... you... bastards!" Yuki hissed angrily, catching Hawlucha by shock as he widened his eyes. "Eh...? Hey? What gives?" Meowth asked. Before anyone could react, Aurorus towered above the Team Rocket member, glaring at him. "Ah! Aurorus!" Serena gasped as she got herself out of the way.

At that moment, Aurorus froze Meowth completely with Blizzard! Meowth screamed in shock as he was frozen completely in a small sphere of ice! With Meowth looking defeated, Alexa and Bonnie opened the truck doors to see Amaura looking very weak. "Ah! Amaura!" Bonnie gasped as Alexa turned to Ash and Pikachu. "Ash! It's in here!" Bonnie called. "Hurry! Before it's too late!" Alexa called.

Left with no choice, the Kanto trainer turned to Jessie and Wobbuffet, and made the call for an attack! "Argh! Let's go, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash called. Pikachu did so as he leapt up, charging enough power to blast Team Rocket away! That was when Jessie smirked arrogantly, as she called for a Mirror Coat attack to deflect her enemy's attack! "Wobbuffet! And action!" Jessie said with a sneer.

As Thunderbolt was launched, Wobbuffet flowed, using Mirror Coat to deflect Thunderbolt, but with the power doubled! Both Aurorus and Tyrunt tried to stop the Patient Pokémon, only for it to be too late as the deflected Thunderbolt blasted Pikachu away! "PIKA!" Pikachu screamed as he was knocked back to the ground. "Oh no! Pikachu!" Ash gasped as the others turned in shock.

Seeing this chance to attack, James turned to Inkay to strike! "Alright, Inkay! Use Osybeam!" James yelled. At the order, Inkay shot a Psybeam attack, which seemed powerful enough to blast both Chespin and Tyrunt away! "Ah! No, Chespin! Tyrunt!" Clemont gasped as he ran over to the two Pokémon. "This is bad!" Ash gasped as Meowth grunted before he broke out of the ice prison!

"Phew! Brr... it's still cold even after getting out!" Meowth stammered, while shivering. The evil trio grouped together as they faced the group once again. "Just give up, twerps! There's no way you'll win!" Jessie taunted, giving her glares I'm the process. "This is bad! What do we do know, big brother?" Bonnie asked desperately. Clemont didn't have an answer, due to his Pokémon being defeated.

Both Pikachu and Tyrunt looked defeated as well, while the evil trio were raring to go. It was then until Yuki stepped up, his face still darkened as he was filled with hatred and anger. "Stand back... I'll take care of the rest with Hawlucha." Yuki warned, catching Ash and the others by surprise. "Yuki!? What are you-" Ash started, until he noticed the darkness flowing around his arms and hands!

"Oh no! No! Yuki, don't! Don't let the darkness get to you!" Ash yelled desperately, leaving the others and the Pokémon in shock. "Haw! Hawlucha Haw!" Hawlucha pleaded along, only to be ignored. "You bastards... You enjoy this, huh? You enjoy making Pokémon suffer... just so you could get whatever you want... with your selfish desires..." Yuki said angrily as the darkness flowed completely around him!

"Guys!? What's going on!? What's happening to Yuki's body!?" Alexa asked in concern. "This happened a few times, when Yuki saw Pokémon suffering or getting hurt!" Clemont explained, sweat dropping from his forehead. "Whenever he saw people being selfish and arrogant with the Pokémon they've hurt, we all saw darkness surrounding him, as if... it was responding to his anger!" Serena explained.

"And that's when terrible things happened when Yuki became an anger person!" Bonnie said shakily, as she held onto Serena for comfort. "Please... Yuki! Don't do it! Don't let your anger get to you! Yuki! YUKI!" Ash yelled loudly. "HAW! HAWLUCHA!" Hawlucha yelled along desperately. Team Rocket slowly backed away to see Yuki being overcome by darkness as Meowth gulped at this.

"This... This happened with our Mega Evolution strategy!" Meowth gulped. "I won't forgive you... I will never... ever... forgive you... **NEVER! DO YOU HEAR ME!?**" Yuki bellowed as his eyes became yellow, completely controlled by the darkness in his heart. "Yuki..." Serena said in fright. Hawlucha could only watch as his best friend was controlled by the darkness, while facing his enemies at the same time!

**"I will never forgive you! Hawlucha! I need you to attack! Attack with no mercy! For Amaura!" **Shadow Yuki snapped, causing Hawlucha to flinch before he realized that it was no use at the moment as he gritted his teeth, being forced to comply. "Hawlucha, wait!" Ash called, only for Hawlucha to shake his head as if he was telling Ash that he must battle for Yuki's sake.

"Hawlucha..." Ash whispered in worry, as Alexa widened her eyes. "So, even the darkness is enough to force Yuki's Pokémon to fight for him? That's just..." Alexa started with a frown as Clemont adjusted his glasses nervously. "I don't think Hawlucha really wants to fight... He wants to fight for the darkness, believing that it could free Yuki from the darkness' control!" Clemont guessed.

"But still! This is Yuki we're talking about, remember!? OUR Yuki! We can't let him go like this!" Serena protested. "Fen! Fennekin!" Fennekin protested along, as she didn't want her crush to fight for the shadow. "What's going to happen to him...?" Bonnie asked in concern._ "Yuki... I know that you're still in there! You have to go free! Please! Amaura won't be happy if you go like this!" _Ash thought desperately.

He then turned to Alexa and Bonnie, asking them to release Amaura. "While Yuki is distracting them, I want you guys to free Amaura!" Ash requested. "Alright." Alexa agreed as she and Bonnie ran inside the back of the truck to release the weak Amaura from its cage, as they tried to get the little Tundra Pokémon up and move, while Tyrunt and Aurorus watched in concern.

"Ha! You want a battle, twerp!? Then, you've got one! Inkay! Use Tackle!" James called. **"Counter that pathetic attack with Karate Chop!"** Shadow Yuki snapped, as Hawlucha attacked with no hesitation! He slammed his hand onto Inkay hard, before knocking him away, while leaving him unconscious! "Ah! Inkay, no!" James yelled in shock. "Pumpkaboo! Use Shadow Ball!" Jessie called.

She summoned her Ghost Type out for battle. At that moment, Shadow Yuki widened his yellow pupils, as more of the darkness surrounded him. **"Weak! Pathetic like a worm! Hawlucha! Counter it with Aerial Ace!"** Shadow Yuki scoffed in annoyance. Again with no hesitation, the Wrestling Pokémon slashed Pumpkaboo away before she could make an attack!

The Ghost-Grass Type screamed as she was slashed away multiple times by the super effective attack! "Gah! Not good!" Jessie shrieked as Shadow Yuki gave a small smirk. **"Oh? You think that's not good? Well, it's about to get worse! Hawlucha, use Focus Blast, full power! And show them how to repent for their sins!"** Shadow Yuki laughed, pointing at the evil trio.

This time, the Wrestling Pokémon hesitated, due to Yuki's tone, but went on to attack. He charged up a large Focus Blast attack to strike as Jessie turned to her Patient Pokémon. "Wobbuffet! Send it right back!" Jessie ordered. At the call, Wobbuffet prepared to use Mirror Coat, until Shadow Yuki laughed at the quick defense. **"Again!? You are so boring, you know that?" **The shadow laughed.

"What did you say!?" Jessie shrieked as Hawlucha reluctantly launched Focus Blast as Wobbuffet tried to block it with Mirror Coat! But suddenly, Mirror Coat was stopped as Wobbuffet was blasted away, being sent flying into the air! The evil trio screamed as they were blasted away from the impact as well! "NO WAY!" Team Rocket screamed as they were slammed to the ground by the blow.

The smoke cleared to reveal the evil trio groaning, as Meowth managed to recover first as he glared at the shadow. "You, twerp, have messed with me for the last time! Fury Swipes!" Meowth yelled as Shadow Yuki only narrowed his eyes in boredom. **"Again, you're so boring. Send him right back with Karate Chop!" **Shadow Yuki ordered, with Hawlucha doing so as he slammed Meowth away!

"GAAHHH!" Meowth screamed as he was slammed away as he slammed right into his teammates, which they yelled in shock. **"And now, for the closing. Hawlucha! Finish them with a dose of your Focus Blast attack! Again! Show them no mercy!" **Shadow Yuki snapped, pointing at the weakened evil trio as they shrieked, before bowing down for mercy. "Please, twerp! Show some mercy!" The evil trio pleaded together.

Even Inkay, Pumpkaboo, and Wobbuffet begged for mercy as the group were shocked to see this. "I never thought that Team Rocket would be asking for mercy...?" Serena admitted in surprise. "Well, I don't think that it's going to work!" Clemont guessed, as he was proven right as the shadow just sneered.** "I'm afraid that's one skill I do not possess. And neither does Hawlucha."** Shadow Yuki scoffed.

This made the evil trio shriek in fear as Shadow Yuki just glared at them coldly, like a spear piercing through someone's heart.** "Are you prepared to repent!?"** Shadow Yuki hissed, causing the evil trio and their Pokémon to widen their eyes in fear. **"Do it, Hawlucha! Blast them with all your might!" **Shadow Yuki yelled, causing Hawlucha to obey as he threw the large Focus Blast at Team Rocket.

An explosion occurred, blasting the evil trio away as they cried out in defeat and in pain. "WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" Team Rocket screamed as they disappeared out of sight into the night sky. Once they were gone, the shadow in Yuki still remained as he gave a glare to Ash and the others, including Tyrunt, Aurorus, and Amaura that was brought out by both Bonnie and Alexa.

**"Tch... I don't know why you guys struggled to defeat these losers, when it just takes one push, to make them beg for mercy." **Shadow Yuki taunted, as the Kanto trainer stepped up, his face darkened. "Shut up..." Ash hissed, which Shadow Yuki heard, causing him to narrow his eyes in little anger. **"Excuse me?" **The shadow asked as Ash brought his face up, filled with upset and annoyance.

"I said to shut up! That's not how a Pokémon battle is supposed to go! A battle between Pokémon is supposed to meant for the trainers and their Pokémon to understand each other, so that their bond can get stronger! It's not to make your opponents recoil in fear by your Pokémon's powers!" Ash protested with tears looking like they're welling in his eyes. "Ash..." Serena whispered in worry.

**"Then, what are you really saying? Are you saying that you enjoy having battles with your enemies, like those losers? They're the main reason why Pokémon suffer. As long as they're out of the picture, they won't have to suffer from their selfish and greedy plans. No one can get hurt by that, except for the ones that caused all this mess."** Shadow Yuki said, unamused.

That caught the Kanto trainer off guard as he widened his eyes. "Argh... It doesn't matter! We just want the old Yuki back! Give him back right now!" Ash demanded. "Pika Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu snapped along as the shadow just sighed. "That's right! We want the Yuki that we know! Not someone as cruel like you!" Serena added along. "We don't need someone mean as you!" Bonnie shrieked.

"It's not right to make your opponents and friends scared when you're in a battle! You need to stop this, right now! The Yuki we know would never do this!" Clemont explained bravely. The shadow remained unfazed, as he sighed in disappointment. **"I'm sorry. But that's not possible. His heart accepted the darkness, so why bother even trying to persuade?" **Shadow Yuki asked.

Amaura weakly opened its eyes and tried to stand as Aurorus tried to hold her child down. "Auro..." Aurorus ordered, as Amaura weakly shook its head, as it wanted to go to the Hawlucha Boy. "Amaur... Amaura..." Amaura pleaded weakly, as it tried to go to the Hawlucha Boy as Ash and Serena caught it from falling. "Amaura!" Ash gasped. "What are you doing?" Serena asked in worry.

"Maur... Amaura..." Amaura said weakly, as if it was trying to call for the human friend it loved to play with. The shadow just widened his eyes a little, before he narrowed them again.** "If you're trying to call for the friend you once played with, he's gone-"** Shadow Yuki started, until the Kanto trainer interrupted his words, annoyed once again. "You're wrong!" Ash snapped.

**"What?"** Shadow Yuki hissed as the others stepped up as well. Pikachu, Amaura, Tyrunt, and Aurorus all stepped up as well. "We know Yuki! He's our best friend! And we know that he's stronger than you! He can be strong without the darkness! He especially doesn't need you, too! So, just quit it! Give us back the Yuki we knew! Give us our friend back!" Ash demanded loudly. "Pika!" Pikachu cried along.

Silence was in the air, until the shadow began to falter, widening his eyes in shock. **"What... What are you... No! I will not submit to you... Real me! I will not-!" **Shadow Yuki snapped before the darkness began fading away, leaving everyone in shock as the pupils in Yuki's eyes were returning to normal, with the darkness completely fading away. Hawlucha just watched as his human friend was returning back to normal.

"Unh..." Yuki groaned as he fell to the ground, unconscious. "YUKI!" Everyone gasped as Hawlucha tearfully ran over to his friend, shaking him. "Haw! Hawlucha Haw! Lucha Haw!" Hawlucha called, telling him to snap out of it until he Amaura weakly nudged him, causing the Wrestling Pokémon to flinch and turn to see the very weak Amaura, who looked like it was about to say something, until it fell down, unconscious.

"Ah! Amaura!" Bonnie shrieked as she and Alexa ran over to the now unconscious Amaura, with Ash, Serena, and Clemont running over, as well as Tyrunt and Aurorus. "Amaura's temperature has gone much too high!" Alexa pointed out frantically. "Amaura!" Bonnie said sadly, tears welling up in her eyes. "Please, hang in there!" Ash called, pleading for the little Ice-Rock Type to hold on.

Hawlucha watched as Amaura weakly rose its head as he turned his eyes back at his unconscious trainer. Yuki didn't seem to be in any condition to move, especially with the experience he took from his dark side. Amaura was in no condition to move, either, due to the high temperature it was in for too long. "Amaura..." Serena said in worry. "We've got to get it back to the lab, now!" Alexa said seriously.

Before anyone else could agree, Aurorus stepped up, catching everyone's attention as they got out of the way. Tyrunt ran over to Yuki's side, as he and Hawlucha watched together on what the evolved Tundra Pokémon was planning to do. "Aurorus...?" Ash started, until the Tundra Pokémon sat, curling around her child, as if she was preparing to comfort it. "What is it going to do?" Clemont asked in confusion.

The answer soon came as a medium amount of cold air flew out of Aurorus' body, surrounding Amaura, while leaving the humans and the other Pokémon a bit cold, since they could feel it, too. Clemont soon knew what Aurorus was planning as he adjusted his glasses to inspect Aurorus' actions. "I see! Aurorus is chilling the air to help Amaura cool down!" Clemont pointed out as the cold air surrounded Amaura even more.

A few seconds later, the small horn or veil on Amaura's head glowed, back to its original yellow and pink color, showing that the cold air worked! The recovery went well as Amaura woke up, turning to face its mother. "Maura!" Amaura cried out happily. "Thank goodness! Amaura looks a whole lot better now!" Alexa pointed out with a smile. "That's great, Aurorus!" Ash complimented, as he was happy to see Amaura looking much better now.

"Now, let's hurry and get it back to the Fossil Lab!" Alexa called until the Kanto trainer remembered someone still unconscious. "Yuki! Hey! You okay?" Ash yelped as he ran over to his Kalos friend. Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie ran over to see their Hawlucha Boy still unconscious, but alive as he seemed to be asleep. "Yuki..." Bonnie said in worry as the Gym Leader sighed in relief.

"He's okay. He's just... been through a lot tonight. Like standing up against his own powers and something like that. I just can't believe it happened again." Clemont admitted with a frown as Serena turned to Alexa. "Um, Alexa? Could you please keep this a secret? About Yuki's darkness? Prof. Sycamore knows this happened before, but Yuki... He..." Serena started, until Alexa finished her words.

"He doesn't remember anything about it, right?" Alexa asked, as the others perked up to hear Alexa say the words. "Prof. Sycamore informed me of everything that happened when the darkness overcame Yuki the first time." Alexa explained sheepishly as Ash smiled. "Thanks." Ash thanked, before he turned back to see both Tyrunt and Amaura coming over to the Hawlucha Boy, as they both tried to nudge him awake.

"That's enough, guys. All Yuki needs is some good night sleep! Then, he'll be all better in the morning!" Ash assured softly. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed in assurance, causing the two ancient Pokémon to smile in understanding, while Hawlucha kept his frown. He knew that this wouldn't be the last time the darkness in his human friend's heart would come out like this and strike at his enemies.

Just then, a truck approached the group, catching their attention as Ash called for them here. "The truck! Over here!" Ash called as the truck stopped right in front of them. "There they are!" Thaddeus called as the other scientists got off. "Right!" The two called as Thaddeus smiled at the three ancient apokemon. "You're going to be just fine, Amaura!" Thaddeus assured as the scientists got Amaura into their truck.

Tyrunt and Aurorus also climbed in, despite of Aurorus being big. For the group on the other hand, the scientists also gave them a lift, with Ash and Hawlucha helping the unconscious Hawlucha Boy into the truck. With the retrieval being successful, everyone soon headed back to the Fossil Lab, with the scientists preparing to have Amaura recover.

**The next day...**

Back at the cold dome, everyone waited for Amaura to recover as the doors opened, revealing Thaddeus and Amaura coming in. "Are you back to feeling better, Amaura?" Ash asked. "Pikachu?" Pikachu asked along. "Maura!" Amaura cried happily, confirming that it was back to feeling normal now. "Amaura's body temperature is back to normal! And we're so glad!" Thaddeus explained.

"Wow! That's great! Right, buddy?" Ash asked. "Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed along. "You're all better! Yay!" Bonnie cheered, as Dedenne cheered along for the successful recovery. Yuki smiled nervously, as he was still recovering from last night, too.

**Flashback**

_"N-Ngh... Argh..." Yuki groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, only to be lying on a bed in some sort of a medical room. He looked around to recognize that he was in the Pokémon Center's medical room for humans. "What... happened to me? I remember facing Team Rocket to save Amaura... Then, I got so angry that I... blacked out." Yuki groaned as he tried to sit up, only to wince in pain._

_Nurse Joy came in with Wigglytuff as they noticed the Hawlucha Boy waking up. "Oh! You're awake!" Nurse Joy gasped in surprise, before she smiled in relief. "Wigglytuff!" The Fairy Type said with a smile. "Nurse Joy... What happened to me?" Yuki asked as the nurse smiled softly, before explaining the situation he was in before._

_"Your friends carried you here when you were unconscious. They said that you were knocked out by Team Rocket's sneak attack or something like that. They're in their rooms right now if you'd like to see them. But, I'd recommend that you stay here and recover, so that we can do some check up on your body." Nurse Joy explained. "Knocked out by a sneak attack...?" Yuki repeated in confusion._

_He didn't remember being attacked from behind as he didn't notice any of the Team Rocket members knocking him out. Despite of the confusion, he shook his head and got out of the bed. "I'd like to see my friends, Nurse Joy, if it's okay." Yuki requested as the nurse sighed, before smiling. "Alright. Just make sure to be careful." Nurse Joy reminded, causing the Hawlucha Boy to nod in agreement._

_Later, he arrived at the rooms where his friends were as Nurse Joy had told him the room number. He knocked on the door, only to hear Ash's answer. "Who is it?" Ash called out. "It's me. Who else?" Yuki asked, as the door quickly opened up, reveal the surprised faces of Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie! "Yuki! Are you feeling alright!?" Serena asked in concern as Yuki slowly nodded back._

_"I didn't recover fully yet, but I'm feeling fine now." Yuki answered. At his answer, Hawlucha ran over, looking up at his human friend in worry. The Hawlucha Boy smiled weakly back at his partner, before he sighed. "I'm sorry to have worried you, guys. And you too, Hawlucha." Yuki apologized, as Hawlucha smiled, his eyes sparkling a little, as if tears were to come out of his eyes!_

_"Come on... A strong Pokémon doesn't cry that easily, right?" Yuki teased, causing Hawlucha to flinch as the others chuckled at him nearly crying. The Wrestling Pokémon quickly wiped his welling tears away, before turning back with folded arms and a huff. "Haw! Hawlucha Cha!" Hawlucha said, denying that he was crying. As the laughter died down, the group sat on their beds, with Yuki asking the question._

_"So tell me... What happened when I was unconscious?" Yuki asked. At the question, the group seemed to be nervous to answer, as well as Pikachu, Dedenne, and Hawlucha, which the boy noticed. "What's wrong? Did I say something weird?" Yuki asked as the Lumiose Gym Leader denied it. "No, it's not that... It's... well..." Clemont started as Ash tried to explain without revealing the darkness._

_"Well... After you were unconscious, we had to fight off Team Rocket and save Amaura at the same time. We managed to defeat them, while help Amaura recover at the same time. That was when the truck came by and picked us all up! Once we got back to Ambrette Town, we headed for the Pokémon Center to be your wounds all healed up, so you could be recovered tomorrow." Ash explained._

_Silence drifted in the air, until Yuki frowned, before speaking up. "Is that all what happened? Nurse Joy said that I was knocked out by Team Rocket's sneak attack, according to you guys speaking. I don't remember anything about being attacked at all. I only remember being angry and wanting to curse those morons... That was when I felt like I had blacked out." Yuki explained._

_This left everyone else even more nervous as the Hawlucha Boy shook his head. "Guess I'll never know since you guys don't know much, huh..." Yuki said with a sigh as Serena nervously agreed. "Uh, yeah! That's right! We don't really know what happened too, only to see that they knocked you out, of course." Serena said nervously. "Yeah! And that's the end of the story!" "Dedenne!" Bonnie and Dedenne cried together._

_With the conclusion nowhere, the Hawlucha Boy reluctantly agreed that he was knocked out, as he was still unaware of the dark side that was lingering inside him, in his heart._

**End POV**

"Hey, Yuki! What are you just standing around there for!?" Ash called, catching the Hawlucha Boy's attention as he watched his friends playing with Amaura in the snow, as he smiled. Hawlucha tugged on his thick coat, facing him with a smile. "Haw. Hawlucha Haw." Hawlucha called as the human nodded back, as the Fighting duo ran to join their playful friends with playing in the snow.

"Brace yourselves, guys... Because here I come!" Yuki bellowed as he jumped high in the air, shocking the others in the process.

**Later...**

With the playing all done, the group was about to part with Alexa and Thaddeus as they were to continue their way to Cyllage City. "Have a safe journey, you guys! And be sure to be careful on the way!" Alexa called as the Kanto trainer smirked at the small warning. "We get it, Alexa! But thanks for telling us!" Ash thanked as he gave a big grin to his journalist friend.

Thaddeus then stepped up, turning to the Hawlucha Boy with a request. "Yuki? There is something I'd like to ask you a favor on." Thaddeus explained as he took out two Pokéballs. "What is it, sir?" Yuki asked as Thaddeus smiled. "When the other scientists and I saw that you were bonding with both Tyrunt and Amaura, we've decided that you should take care of the two while you continue on your journey!" Thaddeus explained.

That shocked the group, but it shocked the Hawlucha Boy even more, along with his partner Pokémon. "WHAT!? You want... me to take care of these two?" Yuki asked, bewildered by the sudden request. Bonnie was more excited than bewildered as she tried to get Yuki to accept the request. "Do it, Yuki! Come on, please! We can have two new friends with us on our journey together!" Bonnie pleaded.

"Bonnie, it's not for you to decide if Yuki accepts or not! It's Yuki himself!" Clemont scolded, much to the little sister's frustration. But the request was already accepted as the Hawlucha Boy took the two Pokéballs with a small smile on his face. "Tell me this, sir. Was it their wish to join me?" Yuki asked as Thaddeus adjusted his glasses with a smile. "Indeed it was! Even Aurorus believed it to be a good idea." Thaddeus explained.

This made the others smile at the two ancient Pokémon's decision as Yuki smiled, before putting the Pokéballs away. "Alright then... They'll be taken care of, sir." Yuki said, accepting the request. "Good! Please, I ask that you take good care of them!" Thaddeus said as the Hawlucha Boy nodded with a smile. "Will do, sir!" "Lucha Haw!" The Fighting duo said together as the group laughed at their pose and salute.

And so, with that said and done, the group made their way out of Ambrette Town, saying their farewell to Alexa and Thaddeus as they continued their way to Cyllage City for Ash and Yuki's second Gym battle against Grant. _"This feeling, though... I feel like something bad is going to happen again... But what?" _Yuki thought as he looked at his right hand, as if he could see the darkness inside him.

He shook his head, before he smiled, believing that he could be just imagining things as usual.

To be continued...

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed)**

**Tyrunt: (M): (Bite, Rock Polish, AncientPower, Bide)**

**Amaura: (F): (Icy Wind, Rock Throw, Take Down, Mist)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 41: Find the Cussler! Buizel and Skrelp!**

**Chapter 42: Save the Cussler! VS Team Rocket****!**

**Chapter 43: Climb the Wall! Yuki VS Grant!**

**Chapter 44: A New Challenge From the Experienced!**

**Chapter 45: A Sweet Battle! Yuki's Sweet Taste!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Yuki: What's the deal with these waves? Huh? What the...!? It's that mischievous Buizel again!

Ash: And that's a Skrelp! Ah! No, Pikachu! You've been poisoned! We need help, quick!

Lindsey: There, that might cure your Pikachu... Are you kids all interested about the Cussler?

Serena: What's the Cussler? Is it some sort of a ship that is deep under the ocean?

Eddy: It's a luxury liner that sunk down many years ago, which is known to be filled with many treasures!

Clemont: In that case, we'll decide on who goes with the power of science!


	41. Find the Cussler! Buizel and Skrelp!

**Chapter 41: ****Find the Cussler! Buizel and Skrelp!**

"Hey! Don't speak with your mouth full, Ash!" Yuki scolded in a teasing way, as he gave out a smirk that was hard to not give away. Clemont and Serena laughed at the Kanto trainer trying to speak with his mouth full of sandwich! Bonnie didn't notice the facial expression as she was too busy eating her own sandwich. All of the group's Pokémon were eating enjoying their lunch as well!

Once they were done with their meal, the Kanto trainer sat up, feeling determined to train once again. "That was great! Thanks! Now, time to train! Let's do some more work on Quick Attack and Double Team so we can be ready for Grant's Rock Tomb!" Ash said, saying his words to his three Pokémon.

"Froakie kie!" "Fletchling ling!" "Pikachu!" His three Pokémon cried out their determination, as if they agreed with Ash's words of planning to conquer the Rock Tomb technique. Yuki smiled at his Kanto friend's determination, as he turned to his six Pokémon. Amaura was chatting with Bulbasaur and Litleo, while Tyrunt was chatting with Hawlucha and Heracross.

Ever since the two fossil Pokémon joined his team, the Hawlucha Boy felt like his bonds with his Pokémon were starting to improve. The closer he was to them, the stronger he and his Pokémon felt with each other. He was about to make his call for some training, until Serena stopped him and Ash by taking out a fishing rod from her bag.

"Before that, why don't we have a little fun with this?" Serena asked as she showed the rod to her friends, catching the Kanto trainer by surprise. "Huh? That's one of the rods that we got at Ambrette Aquarium!" Ash said, remembering the time when they had met Rodman and Clauncher, the two attempting to fish out a golden Magikarp.

"Yep! We are in the beach! Too much training will only stress you out!" Serena said sweetly, much to the annoyance Yuki. This was the third time that she tried to stop him and Ash from doing any training. Sure, they were able to do some training back at the time when they visited the Fossil Lab, but all the other times...

"And how will it stress us out? For what I remember, we barely had any time to do some training, due to you making suggestions for us to have fun, while doing things your way." Yuki said annoyingly, catching the Vaniville girl by surprise. "Huh!? I did not! Just what are you talking about!?" Serena asked, as she felt surprised at this sudden accusation.

"You know what I'm talking about. The first time when Ash and I tried to train to battle against Grant, you asked us both to help you with the PokéVision video. Second was when you suggested us to head for the Ambrette Aquarium, stopping us from training again. And now this? This is kind of getting out of hand, Serena." Yuki said annoyingly.

"Hawlucha cha..." Hawlucha agreed, giving small nods to his human friend's words. Heracross, Litleo, and Bulbasaur felt the same, as they gave off displeasured looks, while Tyrunt and Amaura on the other hand, both didn't seem so concerned about missing the chance to train for an upcoming battle. While seeing his point, Serena gave a pouting face, before she turned away.

"Fine! Then you can train all you like! I'm going to go fishing!" Serena said, as Bonnie stood to side with her. "She's right about the stress part! And maybe you could catch a really, really cute Pokémon!" Bonnie said happily. "Dedenne!" Dedenne said happily. It felt the same ay as Bonnie, as it also wants to make new friends, too.

"Right! Like with that Corsola!" Serena said, remembering when she faced the Water-Rock Type Pokémon when she had made the first catch. Clemont stood up, making his suggestion, to the two boys.

"You already have a Froakie, Ash! And Yuki, you have Hawlucha, Bulbasaur, and Heracross, too! But if you two catch a Water Type Pokémon, then you'd both have a better chance on going up against Grant, who uses Rock Types!" Clemont said, causing Ash to understand as he agreed with the Lumiose Gym Leader's words.

"Now you're talking! Great! What do you say we get our rod?" Ash asked, turning to his Electric Type partner. Pikachu, who climbed onto Ash's shoulder smiled, nodding to his trainer's suggestion. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed as the Hawlucha Boy sweat dropped at the mind change of Ash. "Am I really being outnumbered right now...?" Yuki asked to himself.

His four Pokemon sighed in disappointment, while the fossil Pokémon were curious to see how fishing is done. They stood up, standing besides Serena and Clemont, as they both smiled at their wish of being involved in fishing. "Ha ha! Looks like Tyrunt and Amaura look ready to go!" Clemont said, as the Vaniville girl turned to the Hawlucha Boy.

She gave Yuki a teasing smile, who only scoffed at her smile. "Forget it..." Yuki said simply, which caused Serena to pout once again. So with that said, the group decided to split up. While Yuki would train with his four Pokémon, since Amaura and Tyrunt were more interested in the fishing part, the others would fish for some new Water Type Pokémon.

So the group separated, as Ash, Serena, and Clemont fished for new Water Type Pokémon, while Bonnie watched to see what would come to them. "Can't wait to see what I will catch! I'm sure it'll be great!" Serena said, feeling excited.

By the time she had finished her words, something was pulling on the Kanto trainer's line! "Ah! I got a bite!" Ash said excitedly as he began to tug on his rod. "Pika!" "Froakie kie?" His two Pokémon were curious to see which Pokémon he had caught as this caught the other's attention!

Despite the strong pull he was doing, the catch was pulling harder than Ash, making him struggle a little. "Ngh... Man! This thing's strong!" Ash grunted as he kept pulling. Serena and Bonnie watched as they were excited, with Bonnie being the more excited one. "Oh, goody, goody! What could it be!? Corsola?! A Clamperl!? Or a Wailord!?" Bonnie shrieked excitedly.

Even Amaura and Tyrunt were excited to see what was coming out. At seeing his friends excited, Ash felt determined as he began to pull even harder! "Argh! I'm gonna catch it, no matter what! Ngh... Argh... HAH!" Ash cried out loud as he pulled as hard as he can.

With one big pull, something splashed out of the water, surprising everyone as they saw that the Pokémon looked weird as the shape seemed bizarre. But they didn't see it as a Pokémon first, since it was completely covered with kelp. "Too bad... It's just a bunch of kelp..." Serena said with a sigh. Clemont was the first to see what it really was.

"Not true! He really caught something!" Clemont said out loud. At hearing the Lumiose Gym Leader say that, Ash took a closer look at the Pokémon with the kelp, as he noticed that it looked hurt! By the time he took a closer look at it, the Pokémon shot its eyes open, and tackled Ash! It struggled on his face, causing the Kanto trainer to scream in shock as he wailed.

"AHHHHH!" Ash screamed in shock. The others and the five Pokémon all gasped to see their friend struggling, as Ash kept struggling with the Pokémon that squirmed in his face!

* * *

**Pokémon: XY Volt Opening (English Subbed)]**

(Pikachu was shown kissing the screen until he ran with Ash, Yuki, and Hawlucha)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying,**_

(A scene showed a route crossroad, with Meowstic and a group of Swirlix floating by)

_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark, **_

(A grassfield where Vivillon, and Swanna groups are flying at a nearby town)

(Underwater where Water Type were swimming underwater)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were seeing a town from a bridge view)

_**Ice, Normal, Fighting, Fire,**_

(A flower field shows; a group of macarons show; a rainy night shows)

_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy,**_

(The group runs along the route in the city)

_**Come on, from here on out it's an adventure and there's only light ahead**_

(Ash's blue background show him and Pikachu sharing sandwiches together)

_**The sky overflows with a rain of tears but we push through**_

(Serena's pink background show her picking a hat, while Fennekin happily runs around her)

_**Come on, use your courage to be better than you were yesterday**_

(Clemont's blue and yellow background show him inventing a machine before it explodes, while Bonnie runs with Dedenne and Chespin)

_**Treasure any encounter  
****  
Heart's pounding, Challenger!**_

(Yuki's green background shows him and Hawlucha sparring each other, as Litleo, Heracross, Amaura, and Tyrunt and Bulbasaur cheers for the two)

_**Someday, my dream will be fulfilled **_

(Ash, Yuki, Hawlucha, and Pikachu were running only to be blocked by a huge cliff)

(Silhouettes of Kalos Gym Leaders shine in front of the two)

_**That's what you have taught me, and that's why I travel**_

(Serena place a hand on Ash's left shoulder, Clemont places a hand on Yuki's right shoulder, Bonnie grabs the two's hands together)

(The group runs to the field on their journey)

_**As the red ring of bonds spreads far and wide**_

**_I'll definitely reach out to everyone with this energy I suddenly feel_**

(Ash and Yuki make attack calls; Pikachu and Hawlucha fights and defeat the trainers' Honedge and Pangoro)

_**This blue planet of ours is shining with hope**_

(Clemont calls for attacks; Chespin uses Pin Missile, and Bunnelby uses Dig)

(Bonnie cheers, as Dedenne uses Thundershock)

(Serena calls for an attack; Fennekin uses Ember)

(Yuki calls for attacks; Bulbasaur uses Razor Leaf, Litleo uses Ember, Heracross uses Megahorn, and Hawlucha uses Karate Chop)

_**The yellow flowers bloom**_

(Ash calls for attacks: Froakie uses Water Pulse, Fletchling uses Steel Wing, as Pikachu uses Electro Ball)

(A Mega Evolution sign appears; Mega Lucario roars, sending huge power)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying**_  
_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark**_  
_**Ice, Normal, Fire, Fighting**_  
_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy**_

(Xerneas and Yvetal appears; The Japanese opening title appears)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie smile at the viewers with their Pokémon)

**_[Opening Ends]_**

* * *

Meanwhile, Yuki had his four Pokémon out for training, as they all prepared to have their Gym battle against Grant. "Grant used Onix in his battle with Viola... having Flash Cannon, Rock Polish, and Rock Tomb... If I'm right about Grant... Then he would be most likely to show a rocky surprise to challengers like me and Ash..." Yuki said, while looking at his Pokémon.

Litleo, Bulbasaur, Heracross, and Hawlucha all nodded in agreement, as they knew what their trainer was saying. Pushing his thoughts away, the Hawlucha Boy smiled, as he felt ready to fight for the win.

"Alright then! Let's start our training! First, we have to deal with Rock Tomb, which could be a trouble to us as it could deal damage while trapping us at the same time!" Yuki said out loud. He remembered that he had left Tyrunt with the others, causing him to sweat drop at his stupidity.

_"Why did I not bring Tyrunt with me...?" _Yuki thought annoyingly. He shook that thought away as he turned to Litleo, making a request to his little Fire Type. "Litleo, do you mind shooting some big Embers at the sky, so it could look like falling Rock Tombs?" Yuki asked, which Litleo nodded at. "Lit! Litleo!" The Fire Type growled in response.

She shot some fireballs in the air, which Hawlucha and Heracross were ready for. "Okay, you two! Dodge them all as fast as you can!" Yuki cried. At his order, the fireballs made their attempts to burn their prepared targets, only for Hawlucha and Heracross to dodge them all! Each dodged quickly and skillfully, enough to make Yuki smile.

"Okay! Nice dodges, you two! Now Bulbasaur, why don't you try?" Yuki asked, turning to female his Grass Type, who blinked her eyes in shock. She felt unsure as she knew she was weak to Fire Type attacks. Despite knowing that this was for practice for the Rock Tomb attack, she was unsure on whether to go with the training or not.

Noticing her unsureness, the Hawlucha Boy blinked before he frowned. "Bulbasaur? Are you okay? Do you... want something else to attack you? So you can dodge them like with Grant's Rock Tomb attack?" Yuki asked in worry. Seeing her trainer worry for her, the Seed Pokémon shook her head and prepared to dodge the incoming Ember attacks.

Frowning, Yuki shook his head before he turned to Litleo, giving her the signal to make her attack. "Okay, Litleo! Let it rip!" Yuki called. At his signal, Litleo shot more fireballs into the air, as they were all headed for the Grass-Poison Type. Trying to make the timing perfect, Bulbasaur managed to dodge some of it, before one knocked her away!

"Bulbasaur!?" Yuki gasped as his other Pokémon gasped in surprise. The Seed Pokémon yelped in pain, before she stood back up, recovering from the small burn she endured. She prepared herself again, leaving Yuki to hesitate a little, before he signaled Litleo to attack again. "One more time, Litleo! Use Ember!" Yuki called out loud.

Litleo nodded as she shot more fireballs into the air, as they began to rain down towards Bulbasaur, who attempted to dodge them all again, only for one of the Ember attacks to knock her away again! "Oh no!" Yuki gasped as he ran over to his shy Grass-Poison Type. Heracross, Hawlucha, and Litleo followed their trainer to see if their Grass Type friend was alright.

"Bulbasaur, are you okay?" Yuki asked as he held his injured Grass Type in his arms. "Bulba... Bulbasaur..." Bulbasaur said weakly, causing the Hawlucha Boy to frown.

"Maybe it's too early for you to have a Gym battle like this... Even if you have the type advantage against Rock Types, there will be some times when they could counter your strength against you... especially with the way you are right now..." Yuki said in worry, as he wondered on how his battle with Grant would go if his Grass Type was like this.

"Hawlucha Haw..." Hawlucha said, while folding his arms. Somehow understanding his partner, the Hawlucha Boy nodded in agreement, before he smiled at his weak Grass-Poison Type, as he attempted to comfort her. "Sorry, Bulbasaur... But... We should postpone your training now, okay?" Yuki asked, causing Bulbasaur to whine a little, before she sighed.

She kept quiet as she was returned to her Pokéball, leaving Yuki with only three Pokémon to train with. "Hm... This is going to be a problem..." Yuki said with a sigh. "Hawlucha cha..." "Lit..." "Hera." His three Pokémon all sighed, as they all knew what this could mean. Without Bulbasaur with them, this could possibly put them in a bit of a disadvantage.

Before Yuki could think more, he felt something splashing at the left side of his face! His three Pokémon all gasped in surprise to see their trainer fall as the Hawlucha Boy yelped as he fell down, only to hear snickering from the ocean! By then, he began to figure out who splashed him like this without warning.

"This splash of water... It's from Water Gun! And with a surprise like this... This could only mean..." Yuki grumbled, as he figured who could've attacked him like this. He angrily turned to see a Buizel snickering at his wet face, as he quickly stood up, before he pointed at the mischievous Sea Weasel Pokémon. "AHA! I should've known it was you, Buizel!" Yuki snapped angrily.

Buizel only smirked at the annoyed human, as he began to taunt the Hawlucha Boy by challenging him to battle in a mocking way. "Oh, I get it... You want to settle the score, huh? The score that you ran away from last time!" Yuki snapped, causing Buizel to stop snickering and glare back as the Sea Weasel Pokémon grew serious for the upcoming battle.

"Hmph! Ready, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked, as he turned to his Wrestling Pokémon, who nodded in response. "Lucha!" Hawlucha cried out as he flew and landed on a rock to face Buizel, who was another rock, ready for battle.

The battle started off with Buizel shooting a Water Gun attack at Hawlucha, who quickly dodged by jumping in the air! "You've had your chance to attack, now it's our turn! Hawlucha, use Karate Chop!" Yuki said, making a chopping stance with his arms. Listening to his orders, the Wrestling Pokémon let out a battle cry before he shot down, preparing to chop his opponent hard.

That was until Buizel shot a Scald attack right at his face! Hawlucha yelped in pain as he struggled to recover from the sudden burn, much to Yuki's surprise. "Scald, huh... That's not going to stop us! Get ready to attack again, Hawlucha! Use Aerial Ace, multiple times!" Yuki yelled, as he pointed at Buizel for the target.

The Fighting-Flying Type flew towards the Sea Weasel Pokémon, as he slashed his Water Type opponent multiple times, all enough to make Buizel flinch in pain as it stumbled back, trying to recover from the multiple attacks it took. "Don't let it recover! Use Focus Blast, let's go!" Yuki called, as he punched his fist in the air.

Charging up his attack, Hawlucha prepared to strike at the recovering Buizel, who managed to recover fast enough to see that he was about to be attacked again! At the same time, Hawlucha threw the Focus Blast attack at Buizel, who narrowly dodged it, giving the Hawlucha Boy the chance to strike once again. "Hit him! With Karate Chop!" Yuki cried out loud.

At that, Hawlucha slammed Buizel away with a Karate Chop attack, as the Sea Weasel Pokémon countered with a Scald attack, which once again burned Hawlucha's face once more, causing the Wrestling Pokémon to flinch in pain. At that point, the Sea Weasel Pokémon struck again, this time with an Iron Tail attack!

"Buizel can use Iron Tail attack!? No way!" Yuki gasped as he watched his partner slammed to the ground, before he quickly recovered again. The two glared at each other, sparks flying between them as both of them had the same wish they had together... to defeat each other with the best that they can.

"You still want to keep going, huh? Suit yourself! Hawlucha, use Focus Blast, once more!" Yuki yelled. At the order, the Wrestling Pokémon began to charge up some energy to strike Buizel with, as the Sea Weasel Pokémon tried to stop Hawlucha with Water Gun! "Hawlucha, dodge it, quick!" Yuki warned, enough to warn Hawlucha of the incoming attack.

Just in time, the Wrestling Pokémon evaded Water Gun, before it launched the Focus Blast attack at Buizel! This time, the attack made the hit, as it exploded on the Sea Weasel Pokémon! The Water Type shrieked in pain before it fell to the ground, looking weakened enough to be caught! Taking notice of this, the Hawlucha Boy took out a Pokéball to use.

"Okay, here goes! Go, Pokéball!" Yuki yelled as he threw the ball at the weak Water Type. The ball opened, before it sucked the Sea Weasel Pokémon inside. All of the Hawlucha Boy's Pokémon watched, as they all hoped for success, with the ball shaking for a while, until it suddenly opened! Buizel appeared, looking more serious than ever.

"No way! Even after all those attacks!?" Yuki gasped, as Hawlucha gasped as well. Before they could react, Buizel shot another Water Gun attack, not aiming for Hawlucha, but for the seas below! The impact of the Water Gun caused a huge splash in the air, distracting the Hawlucha Boy and his Pokémon enough to let the Sea Weasel Pokémon escape.

By the time Yuki was able to see with the water gone, Buizel was already gone. "It got away..." Yuki breathed out loud, before he frowned. This was the second time the mischievous Sea Weasel Pokémon had escaped from his sight.

"AHHHHH!" Ash's scream reached the Hawlucha Boy's ears as he widened his eyes to see where the scream came from. "That voice... Ash!?" Yuki cried as he ran back to the spot where his four friends and his two Pokémon were. As he got there, he received a big surprise, seeing a kelp-like Pokémon squirming on Ash's face!

"ARGH! Gah! Man! That hurts!" Ash yelped. He pulled the Pokémon off of him by the time Yuki and his four Pokémon reached him and the others. "Hey! What happened here!?" Yuki asked, as Serena explained. "We all got a big surprise from a Pokémon that we've never seen before!" Serena explained with a frown on her face.

"A new Pokémon?" Yuki asked as he took a look at the kelp-like Pokémon in Ash's hands. Before the Kanto trainer could speak, Honnie noticed the Pokémon's small wound on the head. "Hey! It's hurt!" Bonnie pointed out, catching the others by surprise as the little girl pulled out a bandage from her small bag.

"Hang on... I've got a bandage! Mm... There! It'll be fine now!" Bonnie said as the bandage was placed on the kelp-like Pokémon's head. At seeing the wound patched up, Ash, Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie all smiled to see the Pokémon looking better, but the Hawlucha Boy kept the frown on his face. "Why do I feel like something bad's about to happen?" Yuki thought as he shook his head.

Before he could speak, the kelp-like Pokémon struggled on Ash's hands, freeing itself from the Kanto trainer! Ash yelped before he watched the Pokémon dive back underwater before it rose back up to the surface! Taking out his Pokédex, the Kanto trainer scanned to see what kind of Pokémon it was.

_"Skrelp, the Mock Kelp Pokémon. __Skrelp camouflages itself as rotten kelp while it stores up energy until its able to evolve."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed, leaving Ash to blink in surprise with the details. "Huh... I've never seen a Skrelp before!" Ash said, as he put his device away. But right after he did so, the Skrelp began to attack!

It shot several Sludge Bomb attack at the group and their Pokémon, causing all of them to hide behind a giant rock to prevent themselves from being hit! "Why is it so mad!?" Ash yelped, as Yuki peeked up to see the attacks come by. "I don't know... Maybe it thinks we're it's enemies? Any wild Pokémon could think that way!" Yuki grunted as a Sludge Bomb missed him by a hair.

At hearing that, Pikachu jumped up to the rock, trying to reason with the Mock Kelp Pokémon. "Pikachu, wait!" Ash gasped as the Electric Type tried to reason with the Water-Poison Type! "Pika Pika! Pika!" Pikachu tried to explain, as it was only ignored by Skrelp, who shot a Toxic attack at the Mouse Pokémon!

The Poison Type move knocked Pikachu away, while badly poisoning him at the same time! "Pikachu, no!" Ash gasped, as he picked his Electric Type starter up. Amaura and Litleo both took a peek at the Mock Kelp Pokémon, as if they were planning to do the same for Skrelp. "What... Amaura and Litleo!? Not you guys, too!" Yuki yelped in dismay.

But he was too late to stop them as the two females tried to stop Skrelp from attacking by reasoning with it! Their words seemed to have reached the Mock Kelp Pokémon a little, as it stopped attacking for a moment. It shook its head before it dove underwater, as Ash tried to comfort his poisoned Electric Type Pokémon. "Pikachu, are you okay?!" Ash asked in worry.

The Electric Type responded by moaning a little, as the poison quickly started to take effect! "Pikachu!" Serena and Bonnie said in worry as Yuki frowned at the Electric Type's condition. "Toxic... Pikachu took a bad beating by that attack..." Yuki said with gritted teeth. "The Pokémon Center! Now!" Clemont suggested, which the Kanto trainer agreed to.

"Right!" said Ash. With that agreed, the group abandoned their fishing and training activities as they ran to the route to head for the nearby Pokémon Center! Before they could get to the road however, a van stopped by! The window opened to show a man seeing the group running towards the road. "Hi! Is something wrong?" The man asked with a frown.

At seeing the man, the Kanto trainer quickly rushed to the van, while explaining the situation. "My Pikachu was attacked and got hurt!" Ash said desperately, which the man noticed. He took a closer look at the Electric Type before he noticed the problem. "It looks like it's been badly poisoned!" The man said with a frown.

At that moment, a woman pushed his head down, seeing the critical situation for the group. "Ah! Your Pikachu needs to be treated right now! There should be an Antidote in the first-aid kit!" The woman said as she searched through the back seats of the van to find her medical kits. At finding it, the two got out, both wanting to help a sick Pokémon.

A few minutes later, the Antidote started to take effect, eliminating the poison that was inside the Electric Type Pokémon. "There! That should do it!" The woman said with a sigh. The five watched as Pikachu blinked his eyes open, slowly recovering from his status problem. A few seconds later, the Electric Type was in high spirits, much to Ash's joy.

"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed happily. He caught the Electric Type in his arms, as the two rejoiced for the starter's quick recovery. Hawlucha and Yuki's four other Pokémon all cheered for their Electric friend's recovery as the Hawlucha Boy sighed, before he smiled. "That's a relief..." Yuki said slowly. "Yeah..." Serena agreed along.

"Thank you so much!" thanked Ash as the man and woman smiled together. "I'm glad we were able to help!" The man said, accepting the huge thanks. "Hi. My name is Ash! You already met my partner, Pikachu!" Ash said, making the first introductions. "Pikachu!" cried Pikachu as the Hawlucha Boy stepped up.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Yuki! And this is Hawlucha and my Pokémon team here!" Yuki said, introducing himself and his five Pokémon, excluding Bulbasaur as she was in her Pokéball, recovering from the training she took. "Hi there! I'm Serena!" said the Vaniville girl. "My name is Bonnie! This is Dedenne! That's my brother!" Bonnie said happily.

"Hi! My name is Clemont!" said the Lumiose Gym Leader. "My name's Eddie. And this is my wife!" Eddie said, leaving his wife to make her introduction. "I'm Lindsey! Nice to meet you! Eddie and I are underwater archaeologists!" Lindsey explained, amazing the group in the process when they heard the archaeologists part.

"Wow... Underwater archaeologists..." Serena said in amazement, as Clemont made his question to the couple. "So, are you exploring these waters?" Clemont asked, causing Eddie to nod in confirmation. "Yes! We'll be diving out in that area today!" Eddie explained, as he pointed to the ocean behind the four trainers and Bonnie.

The group all turned to the ocean where Eddie was pointing at, who explained the rumors about a ship that had sunken underwater many years ago. "Apparently, there is a sunken ship called the Cussler, somewhere in the vicinity!" Eddie explained, confusing the Hawlucha Boy as he folded his arms with a frown.

"A Cussler? I think I've heard of that ship before..." Yuki said as he searched through his head for any familiar memories about the ship. To his disappointment however, nothing came out of his mind. "Guess not..." sighed Yuki. "Hawlucha cha." Hawlucha said, comforting his human friend with a pat on the back.

"That sounds familiar..." said Serena, as Clemont remembered the reason for the ship's disappearance. "Didn't the Cussler crash into an iceberg long ago?" Clemont asked, crushing the Hawlucha Boy a little as he face palmed for his stupidity. _"Great... He just had to say it, did he...?"_ Yuki thought as he sighed again.

"That's right... The Cussler was a luxury liner..." Lindsey said, confirming Clemont's thoughts. The thoughts of the Cussler crashing down left the group silent, until the Lumiose Gym Leader remembered something about the Cussler sinking down. "Wait... I thought the Cussler sank way, way out in the coast! So... Why would it be over here near the Muraille Coast?" Clemont asked.

"Probably due to the currents." Eddie said, catching Ash's attention. "The currents?" Ash asked, as Eddie explained. "Several ocean currents are known to intercept right here at the Muraille Coast! It creates a very complex current system!" Eddie explained, as he allowed his wife to continue with the details.

"We believe that the current carried the Cussler all the way here to the Muraille Coast! Our present research has one goal! To find the Cussler and identify the current that brought it here! It's promising to be a very busy day, today!" Lindsey explained, interesting the group in the process. Bonnie was the first to say her comments.

"Ocean explorations are so cool! It sounds fun!" Bonnie cried out happily. To that being said, the others wanted to join in as well. "Is there any chance that we can go along with you!?" "Pika!" Ash and Pikachu asked together, as they both felt hopeful for a positive answer. "We'll help you, with anything!" Serena assured happily.

"We would like to see whether the rumors about the Cussler are true! It'd be a great discovery for us to see!" Yuki said, causing his five Pokémon to express their interests as well. "With my invention expertise, I'm certain I can help!" Clemont said, catching the couple by surprise. The two looked at each other, before they smiled, agreeing to the group's request.

"Alright! You'd be a big help! We're actually a bit short-handed!" Eddie said, as Lindsey gave a reminder to the group in advance. "But you need to remember that it might be dangerous out there, so you'll have to listen to us! Is that a deal?" Lindsey asked, which the group agreed on. "Deal!"

Woth everything said and done, the couple lead the group to their van as Yuki returned all his Pokémon except Hawlucha, as he promised them they would see everything once they were all on the ocean.

**Later...**

Soon, the couple and the group were all on the couples' research boat, as they were approaching a group of whirlpools up ahead! "Those complex currents are creating those giant whirlpools!" Lindsey said, as the Hawlucha Boy frowned at this. "Hold on... Isnt that dangerous for us if we were to go near it?" Yuki asked, as the wife only smiled.

"It'll be fine! I can promise you that!" Lindsey assured as her husband spoke up. "Lindsey! It's almost time!" Eddie said, confusing the Hawlucha Boy even more. "Time for what?" "Hawlucha?" The Fighting duo asked together, as Lindsay cleared her throat. "Alright! Everyone, watch closely!" Lindsey said, which Ash nodded to.

"Gotcha!" Ash said as he took a closer look at the whirlpools up ahead. The others followed as they witnessed the whirlpools getting smaller and smaller, much to the Hawlucha Boy's surprise. "What the...!?" Yuki gasped as Hawlucha widened his eyes. The others all felt the same as they were surprised with the whirlpool disappearing, too.

"Ah!" "Look at that!" "The whirlpools!" Ash, Clemont, and Serena all gasped in surprise. By the time they showed their surprised reactions, the whirlpools were completely out of sight now! "They're gone!" "Pika!?" commented Ash as Pikachu widened his eyes in disbelief. At their reactions, Eddie began to explain for the whirlpool's disappearance.

"The intercepting currents that create those whirlpools change regularly. As usual, they're right on schedule! You shouldn't be seeing them for a while now." Eddie said, causing the Hawlucha Boy to understand now. "I see..." Yuki said, as he folded his arms with a frown. _"They could maybe come out with an unexpected time..." _Yuki thought before he shook his head with a sigh.

Pushing away his thoughts, he watched as Eddie stopped the boat to the spot where the research was going to begin. "Alright! We're here! Let's get ready to dive!" said Eddie. At hearing the mentioning of diving, the Hawlucha Boy blinked, before cocking his head with several thoughts in his mind.

"When he says get ready to dive, does he mean with a submarine or with diving gear?" Yuki asked. "Hawlucha Haw..." Even Hawlucha wasn't sure on which part the man meant as Lindsey led the group outside. On the boat's floor, she opened up a hatch, which seemed to show the inside of the submarine!

"I guess that answers our questions, huh, Hawlucha?" Yuki asked, causing the Wrestling Pokémon to nod in agreement. As the hatch was opened, Ash peeked at it, amazed to see the sub inside. "Wow! Are you going to dive down with this submarine?" Ash asked, causing Lindsey to answer with a smile.

"That's correct!" Lindsey confirmed, exciting the Kanto trainer even more. "Hey? Can we all go with you?" "Pikachu!" Ash and Pikachu asked together, to which Lindsey frowned at. "That'd be awesome!" Serena agreed, as she felt like the submarine experience would be fun, too.

"I'd like to see what the sea looks like deep down!" Yuki said, saying his curiosity of the ocean. "Hawlucha cha!" Hawlucha said, saying his curiosity for the ocean, too. "Yeah! And it'd be so much fun!" Bonnie piped up, saying her words to Lindsay.

At seeing the whole group excited for the experience in the submarine, Lindsey frowned, as she explained the reason why it would be impossible to do so. "Well, our submarine is not very large, and there's only room for three other people to get inside." Lindsey said, disappointing Bonnie. But right after the explanation, Clemont stepped up, smirking.

"No problem! I know how we can decide on who gets to go fair and square!" Clemont said, interesting Yuki as he stood up to face the Lumiose Gym Leader. "And how would you decide that?" Yuki asked, causing the inventor to smirk once again as his glasses flashed, showing his determination and confidence for success.

"Heh heh heh! The future is now, thanks to science! Clemontic Gear, on!" Clemont said as he revealed his new machine. It looked like some kind of a game machine, with the screen having two paths, like it was some sort of a race course or something. "I call it my** 'No-Hard-Feelings-Fair-and-Square-Lottery-Device'**!" Clemont said as he presented his machine.

"Science is so amazing!" Ash said in amazement, as the invention caught his interests once again. "So, how does this work?" Yuki asked, as he allowed Clemont to explain. "It's simple! Choose left or right, and my lottery device will take the guess out of who goes, and decide it for you!" Clemont explained.

He handed out small pictures of his friends to them, giving them each their picture face. Once that was done, they all began to decide on which side they would want to go to. "Cool! So, I'll choose left!" "I'll choose left, too!" With their decisions, both Ash and Serena placed their little pictures on the left arrow, giving room for one more.

Clemomt and Bonnie on the other hand, turned to the right arrow as they made their decision there. "In that case, I'm going to go with right!" "Okay! Then, I'm going to go with my brother!" The two siblings sticked their face pictures on the right arrow, also giving room for one more. Now only Yuki was left to decide on which side he would go with.

Should he go with Ash and Serena? Or should he go with Clemont and Bonnie? The others turned to the Hawlucha Boy, all wanting his answer. "Which side are you going to choose, Yuki?" Ash asked, causing the Hawlucha Boy to frown, before he made his decision. "I'll go with you and Serena. I'll be going left!" Yuki said as he sticked his picture under Serena's on the left arrow.

With everything settled, the Lumiose Gym Leader activated his machine. "Lottery... GO!" Clemont said as he pressed on the button to begin the lottery. With the machine activated, the arrows began to move in different paths. At first, Clemont and Bonnie's arrow started to move up ahead of Ash, Yuki, and Serena's!

The five all waited eagerly to see which arrows would make the right move. "Come on! Don't lose!" "Pika!" "Go! Go!" "Come on!" "Keep going!" "Lucha Haw!" Ash, Yuki, Serena, Bonnie, Pikachu, and Hawlucha all cheered for their arrows to move to the right spot. And by the time the arrows had stopped, the result was shown.

Confettis blew from the machine, showing victory to the left arrow: Yuki, Ash, and Serena! "Yeah! We won!" "Alright! We won!" "Now that's what I'm talking about!" The three cheered together, leaving Clemont and Bonnie to be disappointed with the results. "Aw... And we lost..." groaned Clemont, as his sister complained the loss to him!

"I was counting on you!" "Dedenne!" snapped Bonnie and Dedenne, leaving the Lumiose Gym Leader to calm his sister and her Pokémon down. "Well, science determined our fate fair and square... So, no hard feelings." Clemont said as his and Bonnie's pictures fluttered off of their arrow.

**Later...**

With everything settled, Yuki, Ash, and Serena headed inside the submarine with Lindsey as they prepared to search for the Cussler. "Alright! Off we go!" said Lindsey as she prepared to close the hatch. "Good luck! You'll do great!" Eddie said, giving his wife a good luck sign. "Be careful!" said Clemont, as the woman nodded before she went down.

The hatch closed, allowing the boat to lower the submarine into the water. Once the sub was released, Lindsey began her driving under the ocean to begin the search of the Cussler. "Dedenne Dedenne!" "Have fun, you guys!" Dedenne and Bonnie cried together. "Take care of yourselves!" said Clemont as the sun disappeared under water.

Once they were going deeper and deeper, Lindsey contacted the boat to check their status there. "This is Lindsey! Eddie, do you copy?" Lindsey said, calling for her husband.

Back at the boat, Eddie received the call from her wife as the small screen showed Lindsey driving the sub underwater. "Affirmative! You're loud and clear! And the video's clear, too!" said Eddie, as his wife nodded in understanding. "Great! Continuing towards our destination!" Lindsay said as the sub started to go even deeper.

This allowed Yuki, Ash, and Serena to see the Water Pokémon swimming besides the sub! "Wow! I can't believe all the Qwilfish!" Serena said, taking notice of the Water-Poison Type Pokémon group. "There's a bunch of Octillery over here!" Ash said, pointing out at several octopus-looking Pokémon. "Pika!" Pikachu said, waving hello to the ocean Pokémon.

Yuki watched as he was in awe to see this many Water Pokémon underwater. Before he could look around some more, a face suddenly appeared on the window that he was looking at! "AH! What the!?" "Cha!?" The Fighting duo gasped together as they realized who the snickering orange face was!

"Yuki! What is it?!" "Did something happen?" Ash and Serena asked together in surprise. Lindsey glanced to where the Hawlucha Boy and his partner was, as Yuki blinked, before he narrowed his eyes at the mischievous Sea Weasel Pokémon that looked happy to see him and Hawlucha! "So it's you, huh? The mischievous Buizel..." Yuki said, catching Ash and Serena by surprise.

"Hold on... That's the same Buizel we met near the Ambrette Aquarium!?" Ash said in shock, as he was surprised to see the same Water Type that Yuki had faced the first time they had met. "It sure is. And somehow, this mischievous little guy knew where we were, so he decided to follow us while swimming alongside with his friends!" Yuki said, before he gave a small smirk back at the Sea Weasel Pokémon.

"So that means... It must've been followed us this whole time..." Serena said as she giggled a little for the Water Type's persistence to follow. The Hawlucha Boy chuckled nervously as the Vaniville girl looked around to see more Water Type Pokémon swimming alongside with the submarine.

"Wow... Look at all the Water Type Pokémon! This is so, totally amazing!" Serena said happily as the submarine swam deeper and deeper, until it started to get darker. The three noticed this as Ash was the first to comment on how deep they were going. "We're down really deep!" "Pika..." commented Ash as Pikachu frowned with this.

"We'll soon see the bottom of the ocean!" Lindsey said as Serena turned to her window. She widened her eyes before gasping out loud. "Huh? Is that the same Skrelp?" Serena asked, catching Yuki and Ash's attention as the boys looked at Serena's window where they noticed a group of Skrelp swimming by, along with the one that had Bonnie's bandage on its forehead!

"I think you're right! Look! The bandage!" Ash said, as Yuki frowned. "That's the real one alright." Yuki said, as he remembered the time when the Skrelp had attacked them and poisoned Pikachu. Serena and Ash didn't seem so bothered to see the little one, though as they expressed their relief to see the other Skrelps with it!

"I'm so glad that it had found its friends!" Serena said, commenting her relief. "Yeah..." agreed Ash, as the Hawlucha Boy frowned at this. "But... Where are they going? The Buizels and the Floatzels are swimming with the Skrelps, too." Yuki said, as he noticed the two Water Type families swimming together, as they were a part of an underwater tribe group.

Before anyone could come up with an answer, the submarine inside started to shake, startling the three trainers as Lindsey tried to regain control of her driving!

At the surface, Eddie noticed the feed going weak as he tried to contact his wife. "Lindsey! What's going on!?" shouted Eddie as his wife explained the situation. "We're being swept along by the current!" answered Lindsey. At hearing this, the husband widened his eyes as he warned his wife and the kids to be careful.

"Uh oh! Hold on tight!" warned Eddie. His warning came just in time as the current started to get worse, causing Ash and Pikachu to yelp in surprise! As the current drove the submarine down, this seemed to have proven Eddie and Lindsey's hypothesis correct as the husband believed the Cussler to be there. "So, it IS there!" Eddie said, as Lindsey kept control of the sub.

"Our theory about the current is proving to be correct!" Lindsey said. As she said that, Yuki and Serena noticed a sunken ship coming right towards them! "Ah! Lindsey, look out! It's so close!" Serena gasped. "That sunken ship could crash into us any minute now!" Yuki yelped, as Hawlucha grew pale to see something big coming very close to them.

But for Lindsey, this didn't seem to be a problem to her as she only smiled at the situation they were in right now. "Don't worry! I'll handle things!" Lindsey said as she drove the sub out of the current, keeping them safe from the sunken ship. At being safe, the three trainers and their two Pokémon all sighed in relief as they were safe and sound.

"Phew... We're safe." Serena said, as she wiped the sweat off from her forehead. "That was close... Too close." Yuki said, as he felt his arms and legs growing weak, like they were turning to jelly. "Hawlucha Haw..." Hawlucha said, as he slumped on his human friend's chest. "Pika..." "Good thing." Even Ash and Pikachu were relieved to safe from the rough experience.

While they were relieved of the close call they had, the Kanto trainer widened his eyes as he noticed the group for Skrelp still in the current, along with the sunken ship! "Hey! Look at that group of Skrelp!" Ash said, as Serena and Yuki noticed, too. "They're following that sunken ship!" Serena pointed out in surprise.

As she said that, that was when the Hawlucha Boy noticed the mischievous Buizel and his friends following the ship, too. "The Buizels and Floatzels are following the sunken ship, too..." Yuki said, pointing out their movement. Believing something was up, Lindsey prepared to follow the Pokémon and the sunken ship.

"Alright! Hang on!" Lindsey cried as the three trainers braced themselves for a rough and fast ride. "Right!" Yuki, Ash, and Serena said together as the sub picked up speed, following the current that was carrying the ship, and all the Water Types that were following the sunken ship!

As a few minutes passed by, the three trainers and Lindsey all saw a large, dark shape sticking up, causing them to all widen their eyes in both surprise and amazement. "Oh wow..." The three all said together. Hawlucha and Pikachu followed their human friends' awe as they watched in amazement to see the large shape ahead.

Lindsey, however, seemed to be more eager and excited than the trainers as she smiled of what's near them now. "I see it!" Lindsey said as Yuki tried to look closer at the submarine window. Up ahead, seemed to be some sort of an old, but large ship! A ship that has sunken down many years ago. "Could that be... the Cussler?" Yuki asked.

To be continued...

* * *

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed)**

**Tyrunt: (M): (Bite, Rock Polish, AncientPower, Bide)**

**Amaura: (F): (Icy Wind, Rock Throw, Take Down, Mist)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 42: Save the Cussler! VS Team Rocket****!**

**Chapter 43: Climb the Wall! Yuki VS Grant!**

**Chapter 44: A New Challenge From the Experienced!**

**Chapter 45: A Sweet Battle! Yuki's Sweet Taste!**

**Chapter 46: Sweet Thievery! Swirl the Berries!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Lindsey: Hm? Are they... fusing the two ships together? I wonder what they ad doing that for...

Serena: What's with the bright light...? Huh? Is that Magikarp submarine heading inside the Cussler!?

Yuki: It's Team Rocket! They must be after the Cussler's treasure inside! They just never quit, do they!?

Jessie: You meddling Pokémon are going to pay for meddling into our treasure hunting business!

Yuki: Correction, idiots... You're going to pay for causing this much chaos inside the Cussler!

Ash: We need to stop the Cussler from falling! Those Water Type Pokémon... They need this place!


	42. Save the Cussler! VS Team Rocket!

**Chapter 42: ****Save the Cussler! VS Team Rocket****!**

Last time on "Pokémon Kalos Journey", the group were continuing onto Cyllage City, when Serena suggests that they fish, only for Yuki to shoot the idea down since he and his team didn't had the chance to train much due to Serena's past suggestions as he goes to train alone with his Pokémon while Tyrunt and Amaura join the group for the fishing activity.

While training, Yuki is confronted by the same mischievous Buizel again as it escapes in the middle of the battle with him and Hawlucha. At the same time, Pikachu gets poisoned by a wild Skrelp that Ash has fished out, which is cured by a couple named Eddie and Lindsey.

The two explains about a sunken ship they were searching for, called the Cussler. At hearing this, the group requests to go with them, which they agree as they arrive at the location on where the Cussler might be. With the submarine set, the group debate over on who goes and who stays.

With Clemont's lottery invention, it was decided that Ash, Yuki, and Serena were to go as they and Lindsey soon discover the Cussler up ahead while meeting up with the same Skrelp and the mischievous Buizel!

* * *

As a few minutes passed by, the three trainers and Lindsey all saw a large, dark shape sticking up, causing them to all widen their eyes in both surprise and amazement. "Oh wow..." The three all said together. Hawlucha and Pikachu followed their human friends' awe as they watched in amazement to see the large shape ahead.

Lindsey, however, seemed to be more eager and excited than the trainers as she smiled of what's near them now. "I see it!" Lindsey said as Yuki tried to look closer at the submarine window. Up ahead, seemed to be some sort of an old, but large ship! A ship that has sunken down many years ago. "Could that be... the Cussler?" Yuki asked.

Lindsey turned on the submarine lights to see if there were any proof that the sunken ship was the Cussler until she found an emblem that had a picture of a Milotic on it! At the surface, Eddie smiled, knowing what this meant. "The Milotic emblem! There's no doubt about it. That liner is the Cussler!" Eddie exclaimed.

"Right!" Lindsey agreed with a smile as Clemont and Bonnie cheered for their discovery. "Ha ha! Wow! What a discovery!" Bonnie exclaimed as Clemont felt excited to see this. "We're now witnessing history right in the making! Right before our very eyes!" Clemont exclaimed as Lindsey drove the submarine around.

As she moved, Ash, Yuki, and Serena all noticed some underwater Pokémon coming out from the Cussler and approaching the broken ship that was carried by a current as Yuki took out his Pokédex to scan it. "Those Pokémon... They're Dragalge, aren't they?" Yuki asked as he listened to the details of the evolved Pokémon.

_"Dragalge, the Mock Kelp Pokémon, and the evolved form of Skrelp. Dragalge look very much like drifting kelp when they're swimming with the current."_ Yuki's Pokédex buzzed. While putting his Pokédex away, the Hawlucha Boy blinked to see that the Dragalge were using their poison to glue some ships together.

Surprised at this, Lindsey frowned to see them doing so. "Huh...? What are those two up to? Are they fusing the ships together?" Lindsey asked as the four received more surprises! They all turned to see a group of other Water Type Pokémon swimming out from the sunken Cussler, as if they were reacting to the Dragalge fusing the ships together.

"It's a group of Luvdisc!" Serena pointed out, seeing the heart-shaped Water Type Pokémon. "Look! Remoraid and Chinchou are coming out, too!" Ash exclaimed as Yuki narrowed his eyes to see familiar Pokémon coming out. "There's also a group of Buizel and Floatzels coming out as well..." Yuki said.

He then noticed that one of the Buizel was the same mischievous one that he encountered several times as he noticed it smirking at him mischievously, causing Yuki to frown at this. As he was inspecting the mischievous Water Type, the Hawlucha Boy witnessed the Dragalge and Luvdisc swimming around together in circles.

Eddie seemed to know what this was for as he was amazed. "Amazing, isn't it? The current carry sunken ships from faraway oceans. Once they get here, the Dragalge fuse them together using Acid, to create one gigantic structure!" Eddie explained, as Clemont also knew what this meant.

"Then all the Pokémon are able to use that structure as their home!" Clemont exclaimed, which Eddie nodded to. "That's right!" Eddie said as Bonnie smiled, feeling happy for the Water Pokémon that's swimming together. "They live together like one happy family!" Bonnie exclaimed happily.

At seeing the Luvdisc, Buizel, and Skrelp swimming together, everyone felt happy for all the Water Types living together. "They all get along so well, aren't they?" Serena exclaimed as Yuki smiled. "What Bonnie said was right... They really hang out together, like a gigantic family living in one gigantic underwater home." Yuki said calmly.

"Hawlucha cha..." Even Hawlucha seemed to feel happy for the underwater Pokémon. "They really like hanging out!" "Pikachu..." commented Ash as Pikachu seemed to agree. "Wow... It's like a Pokémon paradise! Wonderful!" Lindsey said as she smiled, only for that smile to disappear as she noticed something up ahead.

"Huh? What's that?" Lindsey asked, catching the young trainers' attention. They all turned to see some faint light up ahead, which seem to have also caught the Water Pokémon's attention as well. "What in the-" "What?" "What's it from?" Yuki, Ash, and Serena asked together as Eddie made his question.

"What is it, Lindsey?" Eddie asked as his wife frowned. "I need to investigate the strange light that's coming from the Cussler!" Lindsey exclaimed, allowing her husband to understand. "Alright... Be careful!" Eddie warned. With the understanding done, Lindsey began to drive the submarine to where the light was up ahead.

As she drove around the sunken Cussler, everyone saw what was causing the light! Up ahead was a Magikarp submarine, which allowed the group to figure who was causing trouble underwater. "Ah! It's Team Rocket's submarine!" Ash exclaimed as he remembered the time when they tried to interfere with their Golden Magikarp task.

"Those imbeciles again... Do they ever learn that all they cause is trouble for others and Pokémon!?" Yuki snapped, gritting his teeth as Hawlucha and Pikachu glared at the submarine, too. Both Eddie and Lindsey were confused as the husband was the first to ask who they were. "Team Rocket...?" Eddie asked, allowing Clemont to explain.

"They're bad guys who steal other people's Pokémon!" Clemont explained, causing Eddie to glare at the screen. "So, what is Team Rocket doing there?" Eddie explained as everyone witnessed the submarine going inside the sunken ship as Ash, Yuki, and Serena stood together, the three preparing to confront the evil trio.

"They just went inside the old ship!" Ash exclaimed, standing up. "I think we should follow them!" Serena said as the Dragalge and Skrelp followed them inside, along with the Buizel and Floatzel following behind. Once they were out of sight and in the ship, the wife drove her submarine inside to tail the evil trio and the Water Pokémon.

Once they caught up with the Magikarp submarine, they surfaced to where they were inside the Cussler's hallway, as Yuki opened the hatch before he looked around to see that Team Rocket was nowhere to be found. "There's no sign of them anywhere..." Yuki said, narrowing his eyes. "Cha..." Hawlucha said with annoyance.

Ash pushed the Hawlucha Boy a little, also looking around. "Where could they have gone... Huh?" Ash started until he stopped to see the Skrelp, Buizel, Dragalge, and Floatzel group all looking at both him and Yuki! Serena popped her head out a little, confused with why both boys were silent all of a sudden.

"Is something wrong?" Serena asked as Yuki made the answer. "Skrelp and Dragalge! Buizel and Floatzel, too! They don't look too happy to see us..." Yuki explained as he was right. Before he talked, the Dragalge shot Acid attacks at Ash, Serena, and Yuki!

Pikachu and Hawlucha had to dodge out of the way to not get hit as the Floatzels and Buizels tried to attack them with Ice Beam and Water Gun! "Ah!" "Whoa!?" The three trainers shrieked as they were startled by the sudden attack.

Surprised with the sudden attack, the Kanto trainer tried to reassure the attacking Pokémon that they weren't enemies, but allies as he waved his arms in desperation."Ah! Stop it! We're on your side! Promise!" Ash cried out loud. "Pika Pika!" "Hawlucha Haw cha!" Both Pikachu and Hawlucha tried to say the same thing to their attackers.

At recognizing both Ash and Yuki, the bandaged Skrelp turned to his friends, telling them to stop attacking! The same thing went for the mischievous Buizel as he turned to his family, saying that they mean no harm, causing all of them to stop their attacks.

"Hey... Thanks, Skrelp." said Ash as the Hawlucha Boy sighed in relief. "Yeah... That goes for you too, Buizel." Yuki said as the Sea Weasel Pokémon nodded, while the bandaged Skrelp called out to its friends before it hopped off, as if it was leading the humans the way to where Team Rocket was headed.

"They're showing us which way to go!" Ash explained as the Hawlucha Boy got out and got ready to run. "Let's not just stand here, then! Let's go!" Yuki cried, causing Ash and Serena to climb out of the sub. "Right!" The two agreed together as Lindsey came out as well.

Soon, everyone followed the Skrelp, Dragalge, Buizel, and Floatzel to where Team Rocket was at. At that moment, the bandaged Skrelp and the mischievous Buizel ran ahead, shooting Toxic and Scald to where there were people! Two of them yelped in surprise, as Yuki knew whose voices they were. "Team Rocket..." hissed Yuki.

He was still furious about what they had done to Amaura from before. The memories about the battle was blurry, as he was taken over by the darkness, a thing that he didn't know about at all.

"Ah! Hey!" James yelped as Jessie and Meowth turned to their attackers. "What was that?" Jessie asked as the two attackers revealed themselves to be both Skrelp and Buizel! "Skrelp Relp!" "Bu bui! Bu bu bui!" The two hissed together as the male Team Rocket regained his calm expression, dismissing the two.

"Oh... It's just a Skrelp and a Buizel." James said as Meowth translated on what they had just said. "They're telling us to scram out of their digs! Or we're gonna pay!" Meowth said with a smile of amusement as this amused Jessie. She smirked at the two Water Types before countering their warning with her arrogant words.

"Ha! You both are confused! We're going to get paid!" Jessie said arrogantly. "Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet said, agreeing to his trainer's words. But before they could do anything else, Ash cried out to them, stopping them in their tracks. "Stop right there! We've caught you guys red-handed!" Ash cried out while running.

At seeing the evil trio, Lindsey gave a small glare at them before inquiring them. "What is the meaning of you breaking into this ship!?" Lindsey snapped as this made Team Rocket say their motto!

"Prepare for trouble, the meaning is clear!"

"But it isn't something you'll want to hear!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"And James!"

"Team Rocket, blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare for one Wailord-sized fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"If you had half of a brain between you, you'd know we're here for sunken treasure!" James explained mockingly as Meowth added to the point. "We're gonna balance our checkbook on the back of the beautiful bounty of this boat!" added Meowth with the Patient Pokémon agreeing.

At hearing this, the three trainers were bewildered, while Yuki remained annoyed with them. "Sunken treasure...?" Ash asked as Serena stepped up. "How do you think you're going to get away with that!?" Serena snapped as Jessie scoffed at the question. "You're so dense... Watch and learn!" Jessie cried.

She pressed on the button on a remote as the countdown went down fast! "The latest bank robber in our city!" Meowth cried as lights began to appear on the devices that Team Rocket attached on onto the vault door! "Mere moments, the safe is going to blast off!" Jessie cried as the evil trio prepared to make their move.

"And blast off would be a good thing!" added James as the machine blasted the vault door! Smoke covered the area, blinding the group, Lindsey, and the Pokémon as they couldn't catch the evil trio escaping. "Argh! Where are you going!?" Lindsey snapped as she was ignored by the escaping Team Rocket.

"You cowards! Come back here right now and fight!" Yuki demanded as he noticed both Buizel and Skrelp chasing after them as Serena tried to warn the two to come back. "No! Ngh... It's dangerous!" "Buizel, wait!" Serena and Yuki cried together as Ash took out a Pokéball to summon his Pokémon!

"Froakie, come out and follow Buizel and Skrelp!" Ash cried as his Bubble Frog Pokémon came out! As soon as it croaked, it ran after the two Water Types. Once they were gone, both Pikachu and Hawlucha expressed worry for the two as Serena held her hands to her chest. "Hope they'll be alright..." Serena said in worry.

Before Yuki could show his anger again, Lindsey turned to see the smoke coming out of the machine even faster! "We've got to leave! If that explosion opens up a hole, water will flood the whole area!" Lindsey cried as she ran back towards the submarine, causing the three trainers to follow as well!

"Hurry!" "Pika!" Ash and Pikachu cried out as the other Skrelp, Dragalge, Buizel, and Floatzel followed, all making their escape back underwater! While they were running, the Hawlucha Boy didn't notice a small amount of darkness flowing right from his right hand as he was too busy to escape the crisis that's about to occur.

Back underwater, the vault safe that Team Rocket was planning to get broke through! It made a hole in the Cussler, causing it to become unbalanced with all the water flowing in! The abandoned Cussler ship began to shake and sink down, as it looked like the structure would soon be no more.

But Team Rocket didn't seem so concerned for that as they were more interested in getting their sunken treasure. As it approached their sub, they were eager to have it all to themselves. "One treasure, coming right up!" Jessie said as it started to get closer and closer! "Yes... Let's reel her in!" James called.

At that, the robot arms came out of the submarine as it prepared to grab the vault! But just as Jessie reached to grab it, Skrelp came into her view, blocking her way! This caused her to shriek and widen her eyes in surprise. "Not you!" Jessie shrieked, leaving James and Meowth confused. "Not you who?" James asked.

Before the female Team Rocket member could answer, Skrelp shot a Toxic attack at them, dealing damage to the submarine, while causing the evil trio to wail in shock as Buizel took his turn! He fired a Scald attack at the sub, dealing even more damage to Team Rocket as Froakie swam over to the sub!

He held onto the periscope to block the sight as Jessie tried to shake the Bubble Frog Pokémon off! "Get another eyesore! You're blocking my view! Off, off, off, off, off, off!" Jessie shrieked as she shook the sub hard, causing Froakie to yelp as he tried to hang on tight, despite the hard shaking the sub was doing.

As for Yuki and the others, they managed to get out of the Cussler in time to see that it was starting to fall! They all widened their eyes to see what was going on. "The Cussler is filling up with water! The entire structure is starting to become unbalanced. I'm afraid it's going to collapse." Lindsey pointed out with a frown.

"No...!" Serena said as Yuki clenched his fists, angry for all the trouble the evil trio has caused to the Pokémon's home. "Damn it, Team Rocket! Those imbeciles had to just break in and ruin everything for the Water Pokémon, did they!?" Yuki snapped as the Wrestling Pokémon tried to calm his human friend down.

"Haw cha! Hawlucha cha!" Hawlucha snapped as the Hawlucha Boy shook his head. "I know, but... I just can't calm down..." Yuki said darkly with a hiss as Ash frowned at Yuki, before he turned back to the falling Cussler. "We gotta do something to keep that from happening!" "Pikachu!" Ash cried out, with Pikachu agreeing.

Finally calming down, the Hawlucha Boy shook his head before he turned to the Pokémon that's willing to save their home. "Okay... Everyone! We need your help! Lend us your strength so that we can save your home!" Yuki cried, which the Pokémon agreed to. The Skrelp, Buizel, Floatzel, and Dragalge all swam down.

They called for their friends to explain the situation to them. Once the small explanation was done, all the other Water Pokémon understood on what must be done. With the agreement said, they all swam towards the collapsing Cussler and began to work together! "This can't fail... It just can't..." Yuki said with a glare.

Hawlucha glanced at his human friend, hoping that he wouldn't fall into his darkened state, especially since they're in a sub and since Lindsey was with them! No other people needed to see Yuki's darkness when he gets too angry.

Back to the evil trio, Jessie took the matter in her hands by grabbing Froakie by the frubble with the robot claw! Once she caught ahold of him, she controlled the arm to swing the screaming Bubble Frog Pokémon to slam him onto both Buizel and Skrelp! The two yelped in surprise as they were pushed back by their screaming friend.

By the time the three were stunned, Team Rocket were successful in taking the safe in their hands as they cheered. "The safe is safe!" James cried as Jessie made the next order. "Surface, stat!" Jessie cried which Meowth responded to. "Ay, ay!" Meowth cried as the sub began to head up to the ocean surface?

The evil trio drove themselves up as they were unaware of Buizel, Froakie, and Skrelp swimming after them!

Back to the collapsing Cussler, the Water Pokémon group all pressed onto one side of the Cussler, while the other group pressed on one side to support their friends. With everything ready, they all began to swim forward, all trying to push their abandoned Cussler back into its original position!

It became hard for them, but they kept on going. With the effort they were all giving, the Cussler began to slowly rise up, much to Ash and Serena's relief. "Awesome!" Serena shrieked in amazement. "Yeah! Hope they keep it up!" Ash said as the Cussler kept rising slowly, as Lindsey smiled. It wouldn't be a minute before the Cussler was completely back up.

"Just a little more...!" Lindsey cried as the Hawlucha Boy just watched. He gave a gulp, before clenching his fists. "Come on, you guys... Don't stop now..." Yuki said silently while biting his lips. The Wrestling Pokémon smiled, as he believed that the Water Types would be successful on getting their home safe again.

His thoughts were right as the Water Pokémon all gave it their all to push their home back. Once it looked like it had completely returned to its position, Ash noticed the hole that caused the Cussler to become unbalanced. "Lindsey, use that plate to seal the hole!" Ash called, causing Lindsey to drive over to a plate.

Once she picked it up with the sub's robotic arms, she placed it on the hole, as Yuki turned to the Dragalges. "Alright... Dragalge, use this chance to fuse the plate and the hole with Acid!" Yuki called as the two Poison-Dragon Types did so. With the Acid sticking the plate onto the hole, the water was prevented from flowing in!

"Great! That should prevent any more water from flooding the ship! The structure should stop collapsing, too!" Lindsey exclaimed. At hearing this, the three young trainers smiled at the success. "Alright!" "Pika!" "Hawlucha!" Ash, Serena, Yuki, Pikachu, and Hawlucha all cried out together in relief.

"Great job! That was a tough one!" Eddie called out, as the wife chuckled. "Eddie...!" Lindsey said as Eddie smiled at seeing his wife and the Trainers safe from the issue. "But you're all safe and sound. And that is what matters to me the most!" Eddie said as he gave a reminder to the trainers and Lindsey.

"It's time. The whirlpools are going to appear again soon!" reminded Eddie which Lindsey nodded at as she began to drive the submarine back up to the surface. "Right!" Lindsey said as the three trainers braced themselves in case if they were to be caught in one.

**Meanwhile...**

Back at the surface, Team Rocket had already surfaced up with the Cussler vault in their hands! Once the coast seemed clear, they opened up the submarine hatch and looked at the treasure vault that they secured with their sub's robotic arms! "Success! Have treasure, will travel!" James cried out. "Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet said in agreement.

"Yeah! Now we'll have balance and books and be off from those tenta-hooks!" Mewoth smirked as none of he Team Rocket members noticed Froakie, Buizel, and Skrelp surfacing behind them! The three Water Types prepared to attack their enemies in case if the evil trio were to try and escape.

But before the evil trio could celebrate their success, Jessie turned her head to the right to see something up ahead. "Huh...? Is something swirling over there?" Jessie asked, catching Meowth, James, and Wobbuffet's attention. They all turned to see that there was a whirlpool just up ahead, swirling faster and faster!

"Ah! Over there, too!" Meowth said, turning to the left. Team Rocket began to panic as Jessie spotted a third whirlpool up ahead! "There's another one!" Jessie shrieked as their sub was starting to become lured in! The evil trio began to panic and scream in shock as they were sucked inside the swirling whirlpool!

Buizel, Froakie, and Skrelp were all caught in another whirlpool as well as they yelled, while struggling to prevent themselves from being spun and caught as Team Rocket's submarine started to pick up speed with the swirling. "We're swirling faster and faster!" Jessie cried as Meowth began to feel sick to the stomach.

"I'm getting dizzier and dizzier!" Meowth groaned until the sub was sent flying high into the air. They screamed as the robotic arms lost the Cussler's vault! The vault splashed under the water, making the evil trio cry out in despair as they has lost their discovered treasure and the chance to make their rich success.

"We dropped the safe!" Jessie shrieked. "Butterfingers!" James snapped at the machine as Meowth held his head in annoyance. "The scent of regret lingers!" Meowth cried as they were sent flying high into the blue sky. "WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" Team Rocket screamed as they were soon out of sight.

By the time the evil trio had disappeared, Clemont, Bonnie, and Eddie all ran out to see that the whirlpool had started as Lindsey's submarine surfaced from the water. Opening the hatch, Yuki and Ash peeked out to see if their Water Type friends were still around. "Where's Skrelp and Froakie?" Ash asked, looking around.

"And where's Buizel... Ah! There!" Yuki started, before he gasped as he pointed ahead. Everyone turned to see up ahead on a swirling whirlpool, the three Water Types were struggling to go along the swirling as they felt like they were going to slip! "Oh no!" Ash gasped as Lindsey bit her lips with a frown.

"Even Water Types can't withstand a whirlpool." Lindsey said as Serena felt worried for the three. "Now what...?" Serena asked until both Ash and Yuki had an answer for the troubled Water Types. "Froakie, you've got to jump!" "Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu cried together as they encouraged Froakie to move in the whirlpool.

"Buizel, that goes for you too! You have to jump like Froakie!" Yuki cried out, bewildering the Sea Weasel Pokémon as he looked to see that there was an escape route up ahead. Hesitant, the mischievous Sea Weasel Pokémon hesitated to move, until the Hawlucha Boy yelled out his name to get Buizel to move.

"MOVE! JUST BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND YOU'LL MAKE IT THROUGH!" "HAWLUCHA CHA!" Yuki and Hawlucha screamed out together, startling both Ash and Pikachu in the process. Hearing the two yell towards him, a flash of determination sparkled a little in the mischievous Pokémon's eyes as he got ready to jump to follow Froakie.

The Bubble Frog Pokémon nodded to Buizel, who nodded back as the two Water Types got ready to escape their whirlpool prison. Making the right timings, Froakie jumped ahead first, with Skrelp hanging onto his back. Then, when the coast was clear, Buizel jumped after the Bubble Frog Pokémon to not be left behind.

Once the two reached to near the end of the whirlpool, both Yuki and Ash were ready to catch their friends. "Alright, you two! You have to make a big jump! Ready!?" Yuki cried with a serious look, earning a nod from both Froakie and Buizel!

Taking deep breaths, both Water Types crouched down and made the biggest jump they ever did together! They were soon high in the air as they were starting to fall to both Ash and Yuki's arms. The boys smiled, seeing that the two made it to them as Ash caught Froakie and Skrelp, as Yuki caught Buizel in his arms.

"Ha ha! Froakie!" "Nice jump, Buizel!" The two complimented together, earning a happy cry from both Water Types. Clemont and Bonnie both sighed in relief before they smiled at the two making successful jumps. "Great!" "They did it!" The two cried together happily. Eddie, Serena, and Lindsey all expressed their reliefs as well.

"Mm..." "Thank goodness!" "Perfect!" The three all said together. Holding Froakie and Skrelp in his arms, the Kanto trainer began to compliment the two for their bravery and success. "Froakie, you were awesome! Skrelp, you were awesome, too!" Ash said, earning a double smile and nods from both Froakie and Skrelp!

"Kie kie Fro." "Skrelp Kelp Kelp kelp kelp!" The two said together in thanks.

Yuki smiled softly at the mischievous Buizel, who grinned sheepishly at his former opponent and Hawlucha. "You are one troublemaker... but a brave troublemaker at the same time." Yuki said teasingly, as Hawlucha nodded in agreement. "Lucha cha." Hawlucha said as Buizel gave a small peace sign and another mischievous grin.

**That evening...**

The sun started to set as everyone started to say their farewells to the Skrelp, Dragalge, Buizel, and Floatzel. "Bye, Buizel and Skrelp! Bye, Floatzel and Dragalge!" Ash said, waving to the Water Types. "Take care of your home! And all those friends of yours!" Serena said, as she waved for farewell as well.

"And don't let anyone disturb your peace! Best wishes until the end!" Yuki cried out loud. "Pika Pika!" "Hawlucha cha!" The two starters cried out together. The Dragalge, Floatzel, Skrelp, and Buizel all nodded before they dive underwater, leaving the bandaged Skrelp and the mischievous Buizel alone at the surface.

At seeing the two alone, Yuki, Ash, and Serena all said their goodbyes to the two Water Types once again. "Take good care, Skrelp! Buizel!" Ash called, waving to them. "Hope we see you again!" Serena cried, which Skrelp nodded to as it dove underwater, leaving Buizel alone at the surface, startling Yuki as he blinked in confusion.

"Buizel...?" Yuki said in worry as the Sea Weasel Pokémon gave a sad look before he gave a small nod as he dove underwater, leaving the Hawlucha Boy puzzled at what the mischievous Pokémon was feeling. "Hawlucha cha..." Hawlucha said, giving a small guess to his human partner as Yuki nodded back slowly in understanding.

"Yeah... I'm getting that feeling too, Hawlucha..." Yuki said as Bonnie raised a question to him. "What feeling, Yuki?" Bonnie asked as the Hawlucha Boy explained. "Well, it might just be my guess, but... Hawlucha is saying that Buizel is, well... feeling sad to be saying goodbye already." Yuki explained sheepishly with a weak smile.

"Lucha Haw..." Hawlucha said, as Ash frowned along. "I guess it kinda got attached to you even with all those mischievous tricks it pulled on you... Huh, Yuki?" Ash asked, as Serena and Clemont frowned as well. Even Lindsey and Eddie could also understand on how sad Buizel sounded, with the way the Fighting duo translated it.

**Meanwhile (Pokémon POV)...**

Underwater, the mischievous Buizel slowly followed his family and friends underwater, to where the Cussler was. But remembering Yuki and his Pokémon, the Sea Weasel Pokémon looked back up to see the boat still remaining as he sighed. If only if he was able to leave home so that he could see the world...

Just then, he felt something nudging him and turned to see his father Floatzel smiling at him with warmth and care.**_ "Oh... Uh, sorry... Dad..."_** Buizel said as he started to make his way down again until his father placed an arm on his son's head. **_"D-Dad?" _**Buizel said in surprise as Floatzel sighed at his mischievous son.

**_"You really like hanging around with that human boy and his Hawlucha, do you, son?" _**Floatzel asked as Buizel widened his eyes in surprise, before he rubbed the back of his head with a nervous look on his face._ **"Um... Yeah, I do... He's not like the other humans that I pranked on, really..." **_Buizel said with a sigh.

He recalled the last times when he pranked other trainers. It was that time when he was nearly beaten up until his father came to save him from those nasty trainers. It was then until he met Yuki back at near the Ambrette Aquarium. When the Hawlucha Boy was surprised, he didn't attack in rage...

He had rather accepted it as a challenge from the mischievous Sea Weasel Pokémon, not once, but twice. He didn't consider it as a harmful prank as Yuki only thought of it as Buizel challenging him and Hawlucha to a battle. However, unlike other trainers, they didn't attack Buizel fiercely, making the Water Type interested in them.

**_"I see... So, let me ask you this, son... Do you want to go with that human boy?"_** Floatzel asked, catching the mischievous son by surprise. He widened his eyes at his father as Floatzel smiled knowingly, before making his words to his son.

**_ "I've noticed that you've been talking about him a lot about himself and his friends as the days went by, the first starting when you first met him near that town." _**Floatzel explained, while folding his orange furry arms. Buizel flushed a little in embarrassment as the father continued on.

**_ "From them on... I knew that you would be curious of our world besides the ocean."_** continued Floatzel. He closed his eyes for a moment, before asking the same question again. **_"I'll ask you again, son. Do you want to go with that human boy and see the world?"_** Floatzel asked as Buizel blinked, before frowning.

**_"But... What about you and Mom?" _**Buizel asked as the father Floatzel chuckled.**_ "Don't worry us, son. Besides, staying in one or two places is just boring for a Pokémon to swim around, is it not?" _**Floatzel asked as the mischievous Pokémon shook his head, feeling touched of his father's caring words.

He nodded slowly in response, while making his answer. **_"Yes, Dad... I... I want to go with Yuki... and see the world! I want to see how everything goes on and how other Pokémon live together in their homes! I... also want to see how humans become strong."_** Buizel said passionately, enough to make his father laugh.

**_"Ha ha ha... Now that's my son!"_** Floatzel laughed as his son tackled his father with a hug in thanks. **_"Thanks, Dad..."_** Buizel said as his father hugged him back._** "You're welcome, son..." **_Floatzel said as the father and son kept themselves embraced together until the father released him from the hug.

**_"Now, hurry... You should be able to catch up to that human friend of yours if you hurry."_** Floatzel said as Buizel nodded before he swam up, wanting to catch up with the Hawlucha Boy. **_"Right..."_** Buizel said as he swam up to the surface to catch up to Yuki and his friends.

**Back to Yuki and the others (End POV)...**

The group said their farewell to Lindsey and Eddie as they continued their way for Cyllage City. Ash on the other hand, figured out on how to deal with Grant's Rock Tomb as Yuki decided to make his own way of dealing with Grant's Rock Type expertise.

"Alright...! Once we master that technique, dealing with Rock Tomb should be easy for our Gym battle!" Ash exclaimed as Pikachu nodded in agreement, with the same look of determination in his eyes. "Pika! Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed as Clemont chuckled. "Well, don't get too overconfident, or it might make a surprise to you!" Clemont said in reminder.

"I know, Clemont... You don't need to remind me." Ash said sheepishly as Bonnie and Serena giggled along. Yuki walked on with a small smile on his face until he heard something on his left. "Bui bui! Bui!" Buizel cried out, catching the group's attention. They all turned to see the mischievous Buizel jumping out of the water!

It ran towards Yuki, who widened his eyes in surprise. "Huh...!? Wait, Buizel!?" Yuki gasped as he yelped, before catching the Sea Weasel Pokémon in his arms as the mischievous Water Type nuzzled his cheek in affection. The others were surprised to see this as Hawlucha grinned at the return of the mischievous Water Type.

As for Yuki, seeing the Sea Weasel Pokémon right in his arms, he smiled and laughed. "Ha ha ha... Buizel, were you following us?" Yuki asked, which Buizel confirmed at with a nod as Clemont adjusted his glasses in amazement.

"Intriguing... I think Buizel followed us because it wants to be with you, Yuki." Clemont guessed, as the Hawlucha Boy blinked at the guess. "Is that... true, Buizel?" Yuki asked, which the Sea Weasel Pokémon confirmed again with a small nod as Bonnie and Ash seemed ecstatic to see this from the mischievous Pokémon.

"Whoa, Yuki! That's so cool!" "Pika!" Ash and Pikachu exclaimed together. "That means we can have a new friend to play with!" "Dedenne!" Bonnie and Dedenne exclaimed together as Yuki smiled at the Sea Weasel Pokémon. He took out an empty Pokéball, preparing to capture Buizel with it.

He gave a glance at Hawlucha, who nodded with an approving smile as Yuki looked back down at Buizel, who was ready to become his new teammate in his team. "Alright, Buizel... Are you ready to be a part of our wildest adventures?" Yuki asked as Buizel grinned with a nod. "Bu bui!" Buizel exclaimed in confirmation.

He jumped out of Yuki's arms, which allowed the Hawlucha Boy to throw the ball towards the Sea Weasel Pokémon, as Buizel tapped on the button, allowing himself to be captured as the Pokéball sucked him inside. Everyone watched as the ball fell on the ground as it shook for a few seconds, until the shaking stopped.

There was a click, signaling that Yuki had successfully caught Buizel as his seventh Pokémon! "A new comrade has joined the team! I caught... Buizel!" Yuki cried out, pointing his Pokéball in the air as Hawlucha let out a triumph cry for a new teammate until the Pokéball suddenly began to glow.

"Huh? What's going on?" Yuki asked as Clemont adjusted his glasses with a smile. "Well... Now that you have seven Pokémon with you, you get to decide on which goes to Prof. Sycamore's Lab, while the others stay with you!" Clemont explained as this allowed the Hawlucha Boy to understand the situation. "Oh... I see..." Yuki said.

He took out his five other Pokéballs, forgetting Hawlucha's as he didn't want to separate from his partner. He held up Litleo's Pokéball with a small smile on his face. "Litleo, I'll see you in a bit." Yuki said as he transported Litleo's Pokéball to the Lab with his Pokédex, allowing Buizel's Pokéball to remain with him.

"Looks like you got a new friend and a new Pokémon to help you on your journey!" Serena said as Yuki nodded in agreement. "Heh... You got that right." Yuki said with a sheepish smile on his face. "Hawlucha Haw cha." Hawlucha said, folding his arms with a smile as the others chuckled for a moment, before they continued on ahead.

"Cyllage City Gym, here we come!" Ash cried out, feeling pumped up for his battle against Grant. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed as the group walked across the road with the sun setting.

**Meanwhile, at the Hoenn region...**

At the Ever Grande Conference League, Minato was in his Champion room, looking over some data at his League computer about the three legendary Pokémon in the Hoenn region. He had seen them before when he traveled with Ash, but just before, he discovered some new powers about them.

Blaziken was besides him as Minato searched through, first finding Groudon. "Groudon... So, this is what the people call it... its Primal Reversion Form... And that goes for Kyogre, too..." Minato said, looking at the two pictures of the legendaries in Hoenn. Blaziken seemed intrigued on seeing the Legendary Pokémon having different forms.

He then turned to Minato, with a questioning look on his face. **_"This seems nice and all, but... Why are you looking up them now, Minato?"_** Blaziken asked as the young Hoenn Champion folded his arms and frowned, before he made his answer as he recalled on what Latios and Latias said to him back at Southern Island.

**Flashback**

_"A new disaster...? In the Hoenn region?" Minato asked in his Latios form as his brother nodded with a serious look. **"Yeah... Mother and Father were the first to detect this, and it seems a bit more dangerous than the incident with Team Aqua and Magma awakening both Groudon and Kyogre." **Latios explained seriously._

_**"Mm hm... Not only that, we feel like Rayquaza might be involved in this disaster, too... We don't know this, but... In the past few days, we've been sensing some sort of strong energy coming from far away, somewhere near Rustboro City..." **Latias explained in worry as she held her paws together._

_"You think it might have something to do with the incoming disaster Mom and Dad sensed?" Minato asked as his Eon siblings nodded in confirmation. The youngest Eon brother frowned, before folding his arms as he opened them again, before narrowing his eyes. "So, what exactly are you asking me to do?" Minato asked._

_**"Well, we were hoping that you would find more of this energy that we were sensing. First, searching up the three Legendary Pokémon of Hoenn seems to be the best choice for this first step." **Latios explained as Minato smiled slightly, before nodding in approval as he stood up. _

_"Got it... I'll head back to Ever Grande City and look up some more. In the meantime, could you two find some more clues about the incoming disaster?" Minato asked as Latias giggled at the request. **"Hee hee! Do you really have to ask, little brother? There's no way we would back out on this!" **Latias said sweetly._

_She planted a kiss on her little brother's cheek, causing Minato's blue furry face to blush in embarrassment. "Hey... C-Come on, sis..." Minato said, scratching his cheek as Latios chuckled in amusement as he gave a reminder to his little Eon brother. **"Hey, Minato..."** Latios said, catching the youngest Eon brother's attention._

_Minato watched as his brother touch his cheek with a warm smile on his face.** "Don't do anything reckless, especially on something that we don't approve on, okay? You really left us in shock the last time you put your life at risk."** Latios said as Minato smiled, as he nuzzled his older brother back with a nod._

_"I can't promise that, brother, but I'll try not to be involved in something big." Minato said as he let his brother and sister hug him lovingly, before he hugged them back. Soon, the three released each other from their group hug as Minato flew off, leaving Southern Island, and returning to Ever Grande City to accomplish his Eon siblings' first request._

**End Flashback**

**_"A new disaster in Hoenn... And just when we thought the conflicts are over..."_** Blaziken said in annoyance as Minato smiled back at his partner. "Well, since we've dealt this kind of stuff many times, I'm sure this is something we can deal with again. That is, if you're with me, Blaziken." Minato said.

The Fire-Fighting Type released his annoyance and followed it up with a grin._** "You don't have to ask, Minato. Because when you're involved in something dangerous, I'll always be there with you!"**_ Blaziken said, earning a small chuckle from his best friend. After the little chucking was done, Minato then looked outside at the window with a sigh.

"I just wonder how Ash and the others are doing... It's been quite a while since I last saw them..." Minato sighed, as he thought about May, Max, Brock, and Ash.

To be continued...

* * *

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed)**

**Tyrunt: (M): (Bite, Rock Polish, AncientPower, Bide)**

**Amaura: (F): (Icy Wind, Rock Throw, Take Down, Mist)**

**Buizel: (M): (Water Gun, Scald, Double Team, Iron Tail)**

With Prof. Sycamore:

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 43: Climb the Wall! Yuki VS Grant!**

**Chapter 44: A New Challenge From the Experienced!**

**Chapter 45: A Sweet Battle! Yuki's Sweet Taste!**

**Chapter 46: Sweet Thievery! Swirl the Berries!**

**Chapter 47: A Sibling Reunion! The Fairy Flower!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Grant: I have been waiting for you both! It's been a while since we saw each other at the Chateau!

Ash: Oh yeah!? Well, guess what, Grant! We're here for our Gym battle, and we're not leaving without the badge!

Yuki: I'll be taking on your challenge, first! What are the rules for your Gym?

Grant: That's simple! I use only some of my Pokémon, while you get to use all of yours!

Serena: But, won't that be putting both Ash and Yuki in an unfair advantage?

Grant: The reason is this! I want to see everything that Pokémon and their Trainers can do!


	43. Climb the Wall! Yuki VS Grant!

**Chapter 43: Climb the Wall! Yuki VS Grant!**

"We're finally in Cyllage City!" Serena cried out with her guide in her hands. "Yay! We made it!" Bonnie cheered with her hands high up in the air. Yuki walked up, stretching his arms wide to feel the breeze coming to him as he smiled. "Yeah... And it's about time we made it, too! Grant should be in his Gym, waiting for us right now." Yuki said with a smirk.

Ash stepped up besides the Hawlucha Boy and had the same grin as Yuki had. "There it is, Pikachu!" Ash said, as Pikachu let out a cry of determination. "I can't wait to challenge Grant so we can beat the Cyllage City Gym!" Ash exclaimed, with Pikachu agreeing. "Pikachu!" Pikachu said in agreement.

Serena giggled at that, seeing the two feeling pumped up. "Of course... Both Ash and Yuki are sure that they'll win!" Serena giggled as Yuki raised an eyebrow towards her. "What, is that a problem?" Yuki asked, which the Vaniville girl denied by shaking her head. "No, no... I'm saying it's kind of cool that the two of you feel that way." Serena said with a smile.

This left the Hawlucha Boy puzzled before he narrowed his eyes. "Suit yourself..." Yuki said with a small pout as Hawlucha comforted him a little for his puzzling expression. The Wrestling Pokémon then noticed the people staring at them as he sighed. This was some way to enter a new town to make an impression of yourselves.

But for now, he and his human friend need to focus on one thing: to defeat Grant and to earn the next Kalos Gym Badge so that their destination to the Kalos League would be close,

* * *

**Pokémon: XY Volt Opening (English Subbed)]**

(Pikachu was shown kissing the screen until he ran with Ash, Yuki, and Hawlucha)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying,**_

(A scene showed a route crossroad, with Meowstic and a group of Swirlix floating by)

_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark, **_

(A grassfield where Vivillon, and Swanna groups are flying at a nearby town)

(Underwater where Water Type were swimming underwater)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were seeing a town from a bridge view)

_**Ice, Normal, Fighting, Fire,**_

(A flower field shows; a group of macarons show; a rainy night shows)

_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy,**_

(The group runs along the route in the city)

_**Come on, from here on out it's an adventure and there's only light ahead**_

(Ash's blue background show him and Pikachu sharing sandwiches together)

_**The sky overflows with a rain of tears but we push through**_

(Serena's pink background show her picking a hat, while Fennekin happily runs around her)

_**Come on, use your courage to be better than you were yesterday**_

(Clemont's blue and yellow background show him inventing a machine before it explodes, while Bonnie runs with Dedenne and Chespin)

_**Treasure any encounter  
****  
Heart's pounding, Challenger!**_

(Yuki's green background shows him and Hawlucha sparring each other, as Yuki's other Pokémon cheers for the two)

_**Someday, my dream will be fulfilled **_

(Ash, Yuki, Hawlucha, and Pikachu were running only to be blocked by a huge cliff)

(Silhouettes of Kalos Gym Leaders shine in front of the two)

_**That's what you have taught me, and that's why I travel**_

(Serena place a hand on Ash's left shoulder, Clemont places a hand on Yuki's right shoulder, Bonnie grabs the two's hands together)

(The group runs to the field on their journey)

_**As the red ring of bonds spreads far and wide**_

**_I'll definitely reach out to everyone with this energy I suddenly feel_**

(Ash and Yuki make attack calls; Pikachu and Hawlucha fights and defeat the trainers' Honedge and Pangoro)

_**This blue planet of ours is shining with hope**_

(Clemont calls for attacks; Chespin uses Pin Missile, and Bunnelby uses Dig)

(Bonnie cheers, as Dedenne uses Thundershock)

(Serena calls for an attack; Fennekin uses Ember)

(Yuki calls for attacks; Bulbasaur uses Razor Leaf, Litleo uses Ember, Heracross uses Megahorn, and Hawlucha uses Karate Chop)

_**The yellow flowers bloom**_

(Ash calls for attacks: Froakie uses Water Pulse, Fletchling uses Steel Wing, as Pikachu uses Electro Ball)

(A Mega Evolution sign appears; Mega Lucario roars, sending huge power)

_**Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying**_  
_**Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark**_  
_**Ice, Normal, Fire, Fighting**_  
_**Steel, Psychic, Fairy**_

(Xerneas and Yvetal appears; The Japanese opening title appears)

(Ash, Yuki, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie smile at the viewers with their Pokémon)

**_[Opening Ends]_**

* * *

Stepping up his game, Ash started to walk off, as he called for his friends. "Okay, you guys! Let's step on it!" Ash called as he dragged Yuki away so that the two could have their second Gym battle. "Whoa! Hey, Ash! I can walk, you know!?" Yuki yelped as he was started to be dragged by the Kanto trainer until Serena called to the two.

"Wait, you two! The Gym isn't that way!" Serena cried, stopping Ash in his tracks, with him still grabbing onto Yuki's right arm. "Huh? It isn't?" Ash asked as the Hawlucha Boy sweat dropped before he smiled nervously. "Uh, no... It should be like... way up there, in a rocky place." Yuki said, pointing up ahead.

Everyone turned to see a rocky mountain up ahead as they walked there, as Yuki's guess was correct. There was indeed a tunnel with the Pokémon Gym sign at the top, signaling that this was the Cyllage City Gym. The group all headed inside, all preparing to see on what's coming to them as they approached a light up ahead!

As the group made it out of the small tunnel, both Ash and Yuki widened their eyes in amazement to see another mountain ahead of them, only for this mountain to look like a rock-climbing mountain as it seemed very high to reach. "Wow... So, this is the Cyllage Gym!... I think..." Serena said in amazement, as she was shocked to see the sight.

"This is a Gym?" Ash asked, feeling unsure as Yuki made the answer. "Well, the sign we went under the entrance had the Gym sign on top, so it has to be..." Yuki said with a frown as Bonnie oohed at the colors the rocks were made of. "Ooh... Look at the pretty colors!" Bonnie exclaimed as Ash looked at the rocks leading to the top.

As he was looking, he spotted Grant climbing on his rock as he called to the Rock Type user. "Whoa... Grant, it's Ash!" Ash cried out, catching the Gym Leader's attention. "Yuki and I are here to challenge you to a Gym battle! Are you ready!?" Ash cried as Grant smiled back. "Sure! No problem! I've been waiting for the two of you!" Grant said from up top.

He held onto the rock he was climbing onto as he called down to the two boys. "Climb on up!" Grant cried out, catching Ash by surprise and confusion as he tilted his head. "Uh... Climb what up?" Ash asked, as Yuki sheepishly smiled. "I think he means the rocks that he's climbing up... See the walls with the colored rocks?" Yuki asked, pointing ahead.

The Kanto trainer looked and then understood of what the Hawlucha Boy meant as he noticed that the walls that had colorful rocks that could be used to climb all the way to the top. "That's right! The battlefield is at the top!" Grant exclaimed, shocking the others except Yuki, who seemed to have already known this by now.

While Serena complained, Bonnie seemed ecstatic. "Ah... No way!" "Yes way!" The two said together as Grant explained his reason for the rock climbing to the top challenge. "You see, my Cyllage Gym specializes in Rock Type Pokémon! I feel all challengers should experience my great love of rocks!" Grant explained.

This left Serena and Clemont shocked, while leaving Ash and Bonnie amazed as Yuki just widened his eyes. "So, I designed the Gym to accomplish that by allowing you to climb up on your own power!" Grant explained as Clemont gave a gulp, as Serena felt worried that she might have to climb as well.

"You don't mean all of us, don't you!?" Serena shrieked as the Rock Type user chuckled at their faces. "No, not to worry! We've got an elevator over there as well! The choice is yours! Now... just because you don't scale the wall, doesn't mean I accept your challenges!" Grant called out, leaving Ash and Yuki to think for a moment.

"What are you gonna do, Ash? Yuki?" Serena asked, which Ash responded to immediately. "Climb it, of course!" Ash exclaimed, until Yuki made a challenge to the Kanto trainer. "How about this? Whoever reaches to the top first after Grant, gets to challenge him first?" Yuki suggested, which fired the Kanto trainer up.

"On... You're on!" Ash exclaimed with a determined fist. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu said, feeling the same as Hawlucha smirked, amused with the challenge that his human partner was giving Ash and Pikachu. With the deal made, both boys raced to the wall, as they began to climb up to the top.

Before doing so, Ash turned his hat backwards, before giving Pikachu a smile. "Ready to go, Pikachu?" "Pika!" Ash asked, as the Electric Type responded with a nod and a determined cry. The Hawlucha Boy turned to Hawlucha, who also got ready to climb. "Okay, ready...? GO!" Yuki called out loud.

At the call, both he and Ash started to climb up the wall, both determined to challenge Grant first as they picked up the pace on climbing the wall. At seeing the two compete each other, Serena and Clemont both watched in worry as the two kept climbing, much to Grant's amusement as he started to reach for the top, too.

"Yuki... Ash... I like both of your spirits and styles! I'll be waiting for you both at the top!" Grant called as he continued climbing up, allowing his challengers to compete against each other in the rock climbing. Stopping for a moment, before seeing Yuki climb up ahead of him, the Kanto trainer grinned before he continued to climb.

"Heh... Let's go!" Ash called as he started to catch up to the Hawlucha Boy, who picked up the pace on the climbing. Seeing the two climb high, Bonnie wanted to try as well as she started to climb up the wall for herself. Clemont saw this and quickly grabbed her from the wall, before making his absolute words.

"Wait, Bonnie! We're taking the elevator!" Clemont said out loud, causing the little sister to cross her arms and pout with her brother's overprotectiveness. Once the decision was set, the two and Serena continued to see Ash and Yuki climbing up the wall as they were getting higher... and higher!

But suddenly, as Ash was struggling to keep balance of the climbing, his foot slipped on a rock, causing him to hang onto two rocks with his arms, leaving his feet to dangle in the air! "AH!" Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie all gasped in shock, which in turn caught Yuki's attention as he widened his eyes to see Ash in trouble.

"Ash!? To your left! Reach your left foot up!" Yuki called, allowing the Kanto trainer to regain his balance by using his left foot to push himself up. The others sighed in relief as Ash panted with the sudden stun he felt as he grinned sheepishly at the Hawlucha Boy. "Ha ha... Thanks, Yuki." Ash said nervously.

The Hawlucha Boy raised an eyebrow, before he sighed as he shook his head. "Ugh... Maybe I shouldn't have suggested the rock climbing race part..." Yuki grumbled as he slowly continued climbing up, with Ash following him from behind. Looking up to see Grant staring down at him and Yuki, the fire burned in Ash's soul.

He began to pick up the pace, eventually catching up with Yuki, who made it to the top as Ash slowly reached the top as well. Panting with minor exhaustion, the Kanto trainer looked up to see Grant smiling down at him. "Ha... Hey there, Grant! We made it!" Ash said with a crooked smile as Grant smiled back.

"Well done, you two!" complimented Grant as Yuki gave a glance at Ash, who still seemed exhausted a little and stunned at the same time. As for himself, the Hawlucha Boy was only a little tired, but had the fire to stay strong for his second Gym battle.

As he and Ash were relieving themselves from the stress they had with climbing up, Aerena, Clemont, and Bonnie had arrived to the battlefield, thanks to the elevator that gave them the shortcut up. They ran up to the sidelines to see that their two friends had made it up as Grant asked the two a question.

"So, what were you two thinking about while climbing up?" Grant asked, startling Ash as he scratched the back of his head while grinning sheepishly. "Huh? Uh... Well, I wasn't thinking about anything!" Ash exclaimed as Yuki cocked his head with a sheepish smile as well. "The same goes for me, too..." Yuki said while folding his arms.

The Cyllage Gym Leader smiled at those answers before complimenting the two again. "That's perfect. So, what were you two looking at?" Grant asked as this left Ash puzzled this time, while causing Yuki to frown. "Hm..." "That's..." The two began to think as their friends watched them, until Yuki made the first answer.

"I guess straight up. If I were to look down, then I would most likely would've faced my downfall." Yuki said. "Hawlucha cha!" Hawlucha agreed, while folding his winged arms as Ash made his answer, too. "Yeah, me too! I was looking where I was going!" Ash explained, causing Grant to smile again.

"Excellent. That means the two of you achieved the state of enlightenment. Both your minds were crystal clear, unclouded... Now that you both successfully have conquered the wall, the next wall you two are going to have to conquer is me. And that's what you two came here for... Challengers." Grant explained seriously.

"Right!" "Pika Pika!" The two cried out together as Yuki merely nodded, with Hawlucha giving a curt nod. Before the three could get started however, Clemont raised a question for the the Rock Type user. "A question... Why do you have challengers climb the wall?" Clemont asked, as Grant smiled, before giving an answer.

"So that inner peace can be achieved!" answered Grant, leaving the others even more confused. "Inner peace...?" "What's that mean?" Serena and Bonnie asked together, causing Yuki to raise an eyebrow in disbelief. "You two seriously don't know...?" Yuki asked, earning a small glare from the Vaniville girl.

"Well, excuse me, Mr. Hawlucha Boy! But we didn't train and focused hard like you did back at your home!" Serena complained, earning a disappointed sigh from Yuki. "Whatever..." Yuki said as he allowed the Cyllage Gym Leader to explain the meaning of his words.

"It's like scaling the wall! It's the best way I know to achieve the state of enlightenment! When I do that, I forget about everything else! And the only thing I concentrate on is reaching the top! That is my one and only goal. The only thing I want... is to arrive at m destination..." Grant explained as he narrowed his eyes.

"As long as there's a wall of me to climb, I will rise to the challenge! I want challengers to achieve the same state of enlightenment, to climb up to me!" Grant finished, amazing both Ash and Pikachu as more determined feelings went into their souls as they were ready to fight for their second Gym Badge.

But that was when Yuki stepped up, making a reminder to Ash. "Remember, Ash... I climbed up here before you did, so I get to challenge Grant first, right?" Yuki asked, stunning Ash agin as he slumped down in disappointment. "Oh... Ha ha ha... Oh yeah, you're right..." Ash agreed nervously.

"Pika..." Pikachu was disappointed that he didn't get to battle first as the Kanto trainer went to the sidelines to cheer for Yuki and his team for battle. Before he could get there however, Yuki took two of his Pokéballs out for Ash to hold, much to the Kanto trainer's confusion. "What are these Pokéballs for?" Ash asked.

The Hawlucha Boy smiled before making an answer. "Since Tyrunt and Amaura has little experience in battling, I figured it would be best for the two to watch on how a Gym battle goes on. If you and the others could watch them for me, then I would really be thankful." Yuki explained.

"Heh... Sure thing! Just do your best, Yuki!" Ash said, allowing the Hawlucha Boy to nod. "Alright, thanks." Yuki said as he allowed Ash to join up with the others before he stood on his battle box to face his second Gym challenge, which was against Grant.

The referee came up to referee the battle as he announced the start of the Gym battle.

"Now! The battle between Grant, the Cyllage City Gym Leader, and Yuki, the challenger from Aquacorde Town is about to begin! The Gym Leader will have the use of only two Pokémon, while the challenger will have the use of all the Pokémon he currently has in his possession!" The referee explained.

The match setup surprised the group as Yuki narrowed his eyes in confusion with the handicap for the battle. "All of my Pokémon...? What's this all about, Grant?" Yuki asked as the Rock Type user explained. "You see, that's how the Cyllage Gym operates. I want to see everything that Trainers and their Pokémon can do." Grant explained.

Ash smiled at that, believing that that would mean Yuki would have the advantage in the battle. "Yuki has four Pokémon with him right now, since Tyrunt and Amaura are in these Pokéballs." Ash said as he sent the two ancient Pokémon to see the battle.

Both Rock Types shook their heads before they looked around to see on where they were. "Hey, you two. Yuki wants you both to see how a Gym battle goes! Since you two have little experience in battling, he thought that it might be best for the two of you to watch for now." Ash explained, which the Rock Types seem to accept.

The two got in between Serena and Bonnie, much to the Vaniville girl's surprise and Bonnie's delight as she realized that more of her Pokémon friends can watch the battle. Yuki smirked a little, before he clenched his fists, filled with determination.

"I see... In that case, if that's your rule... then I'll do my very best to work with my Pokémon so that we can achieve our second Gym Badge in Kalos!" Yuki called as Hawlucha got ready to battle as well. "Hawlucha Cha!" Hawlucha agreed as the referee finished with the rule explanation.

"Only the challenger will be allowed to substitute during the battle! So, if you please bring out your Pokémon..." The referee said, making his request as both Trainers took out their first Pokéball for battle. "I've been really looking forward to your challenge, ever since I saw you and Ash battle at the Battle Chateau..." Grant said as his eyes grew serious.

"Now, let's see which Pokémon you'll use to scale the wall... And that wall is me. Onix, let's go!" Grant called as he sent out his Rock Snake Pokémon, who roared at being sent out for battle. The others were surprised at the first choice as Yuki merely smiled at the first opponent that he needs to overcome.

"Onix is the first obstacle of this course, huh...? In that case, Bulbasaur, come on out!" Yuki called as he summoned his Tiny Seed Pokémon for battle. The female Grass Type appeared, facing Onix as she started to feel nervous about on the battle will go with her going first until Yuki encouraged her to stay brave and strong.

"Bulbasaur, don't be so nervous! Remember, this is your first test to see if you can become stronger in the future! So, don't worry about losing, and just stay calm! That way, victory will be much easier for you to achieve!" Yuki called, calming his Grass Type down. At the encouragement, Bulbasaur nodded as she turned back to face Onix.

"Yuki's going to first use Bulbasaur...? But, I thought the training with Bulbasaur didn't go so well when they trained in the Muraille Coast..." Serena said as Clemont adjusted his glasses. "I guess this is Yuki's way of believing his Pokémon by encouraging them to fight and stay strong, while also telling them to be brave in their first fight." Clemont guessed.

"You can do it, Bulbasaur! Go, go, go!" "Dedenne!" Bonnie cried as Dedenne cheered. Tyrunt and Amaura also cheered for their shy friend, boosting Bulbasaur's confidence as she nodded before, maintaining her focus to strike at her giant, long opponent.

"Alright! Battle, begin!" The referee called as the Gym battle began.

**Grant: Onix + 1 VS Yuki: Bulbasaur + Hawlucha + 2**

"Okay, we'll make the first move! Bulbasaur, start this off with Razor Leaf!" Yuki called, allowing Bulbasaur to launch some several sharp leaves at Onix, as Grant just smiled. "Dodge it with Rock Polish!" Grant called as Onix used its power to increase its speed!

Just as Razor Leaf would hit, Onix sped out of the way, causing the attack to miss! "That's speed..." Yuki commented dryly as Bulbasaur widened her eyes to see her attack miss. The others grew worried for the Hawlucha Boy and his Grass Type as well. "There's Rock Tomb..." Ash said with a frown.

"With that kind of speed, there's no way Bulbasaur will be able to make an attack on Onix..." Serena said in worry as Yuki tried to attack again. "Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf once more!" Yuki called as the female Tiny Seed Pokémon tried to attack again, only for Onix to dodge again, due to Rock Polish's powers!

"It's useless, Yuki. A slow attack like Razor Leaf won't be fast enough to make a hit on Onix! Use Iron Tail!" Grant called, pointing at the Kanto starter as Onix roared, before launching his glowing tail at the Grass Type. "No you don't! Counter it, Bulbasaur, with Vine Whip!" Yuki called as Bulbasaur skidded on the ground!

Due to the force of Iron Tail's power, it was hard to stop it from its tracks as both Pokémon struggled to strike at each other. But with Onix struggling, Yuki saw this chance to attack. "Quick! Use Leech Seed to sap Onix's powers!" Yuki called as the Tiny Seed Pokémon took this chance to shoot a small seed on Onix's body!

The Leech Seed made vines spread and zap Onix! The Rock Snake Pokémon roared in pain as its energy started to be drained away with Bulbasaur regaining a small amount of health. "Oh no... A Leech Seed against Onix is bad...!" Grant said in shock as Serena and Bonnie cheered for the success.

"Alright!" The girls said together, before they double high-fived each other, as Ash grinned at the attack. "Great! Now Yuki has the advantage against Onix!" Ash exclaimed as Clemont nodded, while adjusting his glasses.

"Using Leech Seed right after the two attacks collided was a nice move! With that it brought a surprising effect to Onix, who will keep losing energy in battle!" Clemont said as Yuki continued on with his attacks. "Once you're completely drained, it's over! Use Vine Whip, back to back!" Yuki called out loud.

At the order, the Tiny Seed Pokémon whipped at Onix multiple times, dealing severe damage onto the Rock Snake Pokémon, until Grant countered with his special move. "If that's the way you're going to attack, then here's our attack! Now, Onix! Use Rock Tomb!" Grant called, catching everyone's attention.

"Here it comes!" Ash exclaimed as the others were worried by this. "I hope Yuki found a way to counter the Rock Tomb..." Serena said as rocks were summoned to fall onto Bulbasaur, who widened her eyes in fear at seeing the falling rocks. Yuki at that moment, encouraged her to dodge them with her speed.

"Quick! Dodge them, Bulbasaur! Then, send them right back with Vine Whip!" Yuki called as Hulbasaur ran, evading some rocks, while deflecting some of them with Vine Whip! At seeing the rocks being deflected towards his Rock Type, Grant countered with another attack of his own. "Flash Cannon, Onix! Go!" Grant cried out.

At the order, Onix roared as it blasted a beam of light at the deflected rocks and Bulbasaur as the Grass-Poison Type widened her eyes to see a powerful attack coming to her way! "No! Bulbasaur, get out of there, quick!" Yuki called, only for the order to come too late as Bulbasaur was hit, as she was sent flying high into the air!

Everyone gasped as Grant attempted to make another hit. "Now, Onix! Iron Tail!" Grant called as Onix raised his tail to hit the Tiny Seed Pokémon again, until Yuki tried to counter back. "We're not done yet! Counter the attack with Vine Whip, again!" Yuki called out loud, encouraging Bulbasaur to keep fighting.

At hearing her trainer's voice, Bulbasaur opened her eyes and whipped her vines out at Iron Tail. However, the impact of Iron Tail was too strong, causing her to crash on the ground, while causing Yuki and the others to gasp as they thought that the Tiny Seed Pokémon didn't make it.

But, they were wrong as the dust cleared showing Onix still struggling to keep standing while Bulbasaur shook as she struggled to keep battling. "Amazing... Onix used most of his strength with that Iron Tail and Bulbasaur is still able to battle? I must say, your Bulbasaur is quite persistent to pass through the wall." complimented Grant.

Yuki gave a dry look before he shook his head. He took out his Pokéball, recalling Bulbasaur into it. "That's enough, Bulbasaur. Now, get some rest." Yuki said as he recalled his weakened Grass Type back to her Pokéball, leaving both Ash and Serena confused with the action their friend has done.

"Why did he call Bulbasaur back? Even Onix doesn't look like it could attack..." Serena asked as Clemont frowned. "It's probably because Yuki doesn't want Bulbasaur to be trying too hard..." Clemont said as Yuki looked at the ball that had his weakened Grass Type inside as he gave a soft smile to it.

"You did the best you could do for now, Bulbasaur. Take a good rest." Yuki said as he took out another Pokéball, before he glanced at Hawlucha. The Wrestling Pokémon nodded, allowing Yuki to send out his next Pokémon. "Alright, Buizel! Come on out!" Yuki called as he summoned his mischievous Sea Weasel Pokémon for battle.

As he appeared, the Water Type already looked like he was ready to fight as he punched his fists in the air, prepared to fight against the opponent that he was to battle against. He was prepared, thanks to Yuki training him last night before they had arrived in Cyllage City, as Yuki taught him about how to battle in a Gym battle and how to prepare yourself against a tough opponent.

"A Water Type... This might be tricky... Onix, use Rock Tomb!" Grant called as Onix roared, summoning rocks before he flinched from the energy drain of the Leech Seed attack. As the rocks started to fall, Yuki called for Buizel to counter it. "Use Scald to counter those rocks!" Yuki called, before punching his fist in the air.

With the mischievous look glinting in Buizel's eyes, the Sea Weasel Pokémon spun on his back, while destroying all the rocks falling towards him with some hot water, shocking both Grant and Ash in the process. "That can't be...!" Grant gasped as Ash grinned at the sight of the familiar technique he was so familiar with.

"There it is! The counter-shield technique!" Ash exclaimed as Serena glanced at him in confusion. "Counter-Shield?" Serena asked as the Kanto trainer explained. "It's the technique that I got from a friend of mine from Sinnoh! To think Yuki's using it now..." Ash said as Scald continued to block all the falling rocks from Rock Tomb.

Seeing his attack fail, Grant attempted to strike again with a different move. "In that case, use Iron Tail, Onix!" Grant called as Onix launched his tail at Buizel again, only for Yuki to counter with the same move. "We'll use Iron Tail as well!" Yuki cried, allowing his mischievous Pokémon to launch his tail at his opponent's tail.

The two Iron Tails collided, creating a bit of spark between the two until Onix was overpowered, due to Leech Seed draining more of his strength! The Iron Tail from the Sea Weasel Pokémon bashed Onix away, as Grant widened his eyes in shock. "Oh no! Onix!" Grant gasped as Yuki made the finishing move.

"That's it! Now, finish it with Water Gun!" Yuki called, causing Buizel to splash Onix to the ground with Water Gun, causing it to crash and be unconscious from the impact that it took from falling. The dust cleared to show that Onix was knocked out, eliminating it from the Gym battle.

"Onix is unable to battle! Buizel wins!" The referee called, gesturing to Yuki's side as Buizel jumped up and down, cheering for his victory as Yuki sighed before he smiled. "Okay, that's one down! One to go!" Yuki exclaimed with a small grin as Hawlucha folded his arms, proud of his human partner for their first win.

**Grant: 1 Pokémon**

"Alright! They got rid of the Rock Tomb's power!" Ash exclaimed. "And thanks to Bulbasaur's Leech Seed attack, the timing to make the finishing move with Water Gun was perfect!" Clemont commented as Bonnie cheered for the mischievous Pokémon, along with Amaura, Tyrunt, and Dedenne.

"Go, Buizel! Do it, do it, do it!" Bonnie cried out loud. "Dedenne!" "Amaur! Amaura Maur!" "Ty! Tyrunt Ty!" The three young Pokémon cheered together, as they all earned a cheeky grin and wink from the mischievous Water Type, while Grant returned his unconscious Rock Snake Pokémon back into his Pokéball.

"Great. Thanks, Onix. Now return." Grant said as Onix was returned for some rest. Once that was done, he began to compliment the Hawlucha Boy for his battling styles and the way he worked with his Pokémon. "I'm impressed, Yuki. The way you used your strategies to use for your Pokémon was quite impressive." Grant started to say.

"The way you weakened Onix first with a Leech Seed, then following it up with Buizel to counter Onix's attacks were well done." Grant said as Yuki smiled back with a nod. "Thanks for the compliment, Grant. But we both know that the battle has just begun here. You've yet to show your ace, right?" Yuki asked.

Amused with the question, Grant agreed by taking out a second Pokéball. "That's correct! Here's my second Pokémon! Tyrunt, let's go!" Grant called as he summoned his second Pokémon out for battle. Both Amaura and Tyrunt widened their eyes to see another Tyrunt standing and roaring to its opponents, which were Yuki and Buizel.

The Hawlucha Boy blinked in surprise as the others were also surprised to see the Gym Leader having the same Pokémon as Yuki had right now. "Whoa... Grant has Tyrunt, too!" Ash said in amazement. Pikachu breathed out his amazement while Tyrunt began to pay close attention as he knew he would learn how to battle by seeing his kind battle.

"So, Tyrunt is the last wall to climb before our second success, huh? This is starting to get interesting..." Yuki said with a smirk, as Buizel and Hawlucha felt the same together as they both showed some amused smirks. "Does the challenger wish to substitute Pokémon?" The referee asked, which Yuki responded by shaking his head.

"That won't be necessary. I'll be sticking with Buizel, since he finds the opponent amusing, too." Yuki said as he knew what his Water Type felt, as Buizel confirmed his guess by making a come motion to the Rock-Dragon Type. This amused Grant as he liked the confidence and determination Yuki had in his Pokémon.

"Confident and determined... I like your style, Yuki!" Grant said as the referee signaled the start of the battle again. "Alright then! Battle begin!" The referee called as Yuki made his first move again. "Those jaws can be a problem, so stay alert! Buizel, start this off with a Scald attack!" Yuki cried out.

At the order, the mischievous Sea Weasel Pokémon shot hot water at Tyrunt as Grant just smirked. "Tyrunt, Dragon Tail!" Grant called as the Royal Heir Pokémon blocked the Scald attack with his Dragon Type move! "It blocked it...!?" Yuki said in surprise as both Hawlucha and Buizel found this surprising, too.

"Now, Tyrunt! Rock Tomb!" Grant called as Tyrunt called forth rocks that appeared, surrounding him! "So Tyrunt can use Rock Tomb, too..." Ash said as Clemont noticed the difference between Onix's Rock Tomb and Tyrunt's Rock Tomb. "That Rock Tomb seems to be a bit faster than when Onix used it against Yuki." Clemont pointed out.

At noticing this, the Hawlucha Boy narrowed his eyes before calling for a counterattack. "Then, we'll do the same thing! Double Team, Buizel! Then, use Water Gun!" Yuki called as the Sea Weasel Pokémon nodded as he formed clones, before they all spun around to negate the incoming rocks from Rock Tomb.

As all the rocks were shot, they were all blocked by the Counter-shield the Buizel clones have used! Grant grew amused at this strategy as he smiled in amazement. "That's quite a unique strategy..." commented Grant as Yuki called for the next move. "We'll settle this with the next attack! Now, Buizel! Iron Tail!" Yuki cried out.

At the order, the Sea Weasel Pokémon launched himself in the air and aimed the Steel Type attack towards Tyrunt until the Rock Type user countered with his attack order. "Catch it with Crunch, Tyrunt!" Grant called as Tyrunt did so, immobilizing Buizel's movements, much to the mischievous Pokémon's surprise.

"What the!?" Yuki gasped as the others were shocked to see Crunch being used like that as Grant called for the final blow. "Now, Tyrunt! Draco Meteor!" Grant called, shocking both Hawlucha and the Hawlucha Boy even more. "Cha!?" "Tyrunt can use Draco Meteor!?" The Fighting duo cried out in surprise.

Yuki's Tyrunt watched in amazement as Buizel struggled to escape, only for the struggle to be too late as Draco Meteor was done, shooting Buizel and the meteor high up in the air! As it exploded, it blasted Buizel to the ground hard, dealing some serious damage as Yuki called out for his mischievous Water Type Pokémon.

"No! Buizel!" Yuki gasped as the dust cleared to show Buizel knocked out as he groaned from the critical hit he took. "Buizel is unable to battle! Tyrunt wins!" The referee declared, gesturing to Grant's side, causing Tyrunt to roar in triumph for its first victory.

**Yuki: 3 Pokémon**

"Oh no... Poor Buizel lost." Bonnie said sadly, feeling bad for the Sea Weasel Pokemon. Dedenne and Amaura expressed sadness for their friend's loss as Tyrunt narrowed his eyes before he kept a close eye on Grant's Tyrunt while his trainer returned the defeated Sea Weasel Pokémon before thanking it for its effort.

"Thanks, Buizel. You deserve a good rest for putting up a good fight." Yuki thanked as he took out Bulbasaur's Pokéball. He bit his lips, unsure on whether to send her out or not._ "Bulbasaur could still be tried from that battle with Onix, but... It's the risk that I have to take in order to achieve our second victory!"_ Yuki thought hard.

"Alright, Bulbasaur! I need you out again!" Yuki called as he called his already injured Grass Type out as the female Pokémon panted, still exhausted from the battle it had with Grant's Onix. "Bulbasaur is still weak from that battle with Onix..." Serena pointed out sadly as Ash knew the reason for the call.

"He must be planning to get Bulbasaur to use Leech Seed, so that the move would drain Tyrunt's energy, just like what happened with Onix!" Ash exclaimed as the battle continued on. "Alright, Bulbasaur! Let's try this slowly! Use Leech Seed!" Yuki called as Bulbasaur shot a small seed towards Grant, as Grant knew what Yuki had planned.

"Dodge it, Tyrunt! Then, use Crunch!" Grant called as the Royal Heir Pokémon evaded the seed, allowing itself to Crunch on Bulbasaur, inflicting some serious damage to the Tiny Seed Pokémon! Bulbasaur squealed in pain as Yuki widened his eyes. "Bulbasaur, stay strong! Try using a Vine Whip on it!" Yuki cried out.

At the order, the Tiny Seed Pokémon attempted to shake Tyrunt off by whipping its head with Vine Whip, only for it to not work as Tyrunt kept shaking Bulbasaur roughly, before throwing her in the air! "Now, Tyrunt! Dragon Tail!" Grant called, causing the Rock-Dragon Type to slam Bulbasaur to the ground with the Dragon Type attack.

Everyone gasped, along with Hawlucha, Pikachu, Dedenne, and Amaura as the dust cleared to show Bulbasaur knocked out, looking completely wounded from Tyrunt's rough attacks. "Bulbasaur is unable to battle! Tyrunt wins!" The referee called as he gestured to Grant's side once more, causing Yuki to grit his teeth.

**Yuki: 2 Pokémon**

_"If this were to have been a fair two on two battle... I would've already lost... I can't mess this up! Heracross might stand up to Tyrunt, but with the speed Tyrunt has... Argh... What should I do...?" _Yuki thought until he felt something tapping onto his arm, which caught his attention as Yuki looked down to see Hawlucha looking at him intently.

Knowing what his partner wanted, Yuki asked to make sure that his guess was correct. "Hawlucha... Are you saying that you want to battle?" Yuki asked, which the Wrestling Pokémon confirmed with a sharp nod and a sharp look, earning a smile from the Hawlucha Boy as he nodded in approval before he sent his partner out.

"Okay then, Hawlucha... I'm counting on you to win this for us!" Yuki called as the Fighting-Flying Type nodded before he flew into the battlefield to confront Tyrunt as Ash and Pikachu began to cheer for their Wrestling friend, along with Bonnie, Amaura, and Dedenne. "So, Hawlucha is up next, huh?" Ash said with a grin.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu said, cheering for the Fighting-Flying Type. "Go, go! Hawlucha! You can do it!" "Dedenne!" "Maura!" Bonnie cheered, as Dedenne and Amaura followed along. Yuki's Tyrunt on the other hand, kept his eyes focused into the battle that's about to occur as Serena frowned at this choice.

"But, hold on... Hawlucha is not just a Fighting Type, but a Flying Type, too! Won't that put Yuki in a bit of a disadvantage, especially since we saw Tyrunt defeating both Buizel and Bulbasaur?" Serena asked as the Lumiose Gym Leader adjusted his glasses, before making his guess of the outcome of the battle.

"No... With the way I know Yuki... He knows on what he is doing. He knows that Hawlucha could be at a disadvantage, but he's putting that to a risk since the two of them have been battling together for years now." Clemont said, stating his belief as Ash expressed his belief for the Hawlucha Boy, too.

"Yeah... And with the strength the two of them have together, there's no way Hawlucha can lose that easily!" Ash said with a smirk and a clenched fist as Serena blinked in surprise before she turned back to see the referee signal the start of the next battle. "Alright, then! Battle begin!" The referee cried out.

At the call, the Fighting duo made their first attack. "We can't let Tyrunt's attacks hit us that easily! So, let's start this off with a Karate Chop, Hawlucha!" Yuki cried out as the Wrestling Pokémon flew up before he dove down to rapidly attack Tyrunt multiple times with the Fighting Type attack!

Ressiting the effect, Tyrunt stood his ground as Grant called for a counterattack. "Now that's speed and power! But it's going to take more than that to defeat us, Now, Tyrunt! Rock Tomb!" Grant cried out, causing the Royal Heir Pokémon to summon boulders above him and his opponent as Hawlucha noticed this and prepared to counter them.

At Tyrunt's roar, he commanded the rocks to corner Hawlucha as Yuki countered back with his partner's speed. "It's coming! Use Aerial Ace to dodge that attack!" Yuki called as Hawlucha did so, by using the Flying Type move and his speed to evade all the Rock Tomb attacks, until Grant let off a small smirk.

"Now we've caught you! Tyrunt! Use Crunch to stop them!" Grant yelled as Hawlucha was too late to see Tyrunt right in front of him as the Royal Heir Pokémon roared before he used his giant mouth in an attempt to capture Hawlucha into his jaws, only for Yuki to counter with a desperate move to let his partner escape.

"Quick, Hawlucha! Focus Blast, let's go!" Yuki called as the Wrestling Pokémon quickly focused on a little Focus Blast and shot it right towards Tyrunt's mouth! The attack exploded inside Tyrunt's mouth, startling it as the Crunch attack missed its mark. "What!?" Grant gasped as Tyrunt fanned its giant jaws and mouth.

Bonnie and Dedenne began to giggle at Tyrunt's reaction, while Yuki's Tyrunt started to snicker as well, finding this funny, despite of Grant's Tyrunt being the same species as he is. "It looks like Tyrunt ate something really spicy!" Bonnie giggled as Dedenne rolled on the railings, trying to stop itself from laughing so much.

"What a cunning move! Using Focus Blast inside Tyrunt's mouth sure made a surprise out of it!" Clemont commented in surprise as even Ash and Serena found this shocking as well, until Ash encouraged the two to keep fighting on. "That's the way to do it! Keep on going, Yuki! Hawlucha!" Ash cried out loud.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu cheered as the Fighting duo continued on with their attacks. "Okay! How's our chance! Hawlucha, Flying Press!" Yuki called as the Wrestling Pokémon flew high in the air, before he targeted Tyrunt below as he dove down to make the finishing blow, until Grant called for another counterattack.

"Not so fast, Yuki! Quick, Tyrunt! Counter with Draco Meteor!" Grant called as Tyrunt recovered enough to shoot a meteor at the sky! The Draco Meteor attack began to make its work as the meteors started to fall down fast, some aiming to hit Hawlucha, as Yuki narrowed his eyes before he called to his Fighting Type partner.

"Keep your focus with Flying Press, and use Aerial Ace to dodge those meteors!" Yuki called as Hawlucha did so, as he flew around the meteors, evading them with his speed as the others and Grant were amazed at this technique. "No way!" Serena said in shock as Ash and Grant were both amazed at the double move.

"Both Flying Press and Aerial Ace! That's so cool!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed as he never thought that he would see an aerial technique like that. "That's fast... Using an attack while using another move to dodge Tyrunt's attacks... No wonder I've been warned about you from Viola..." Grant said with a small smile on his face.

Once the Draco Meteor was done, the Hawlucha Boy made the call for the final move. "This is it! One last attack, Hawlucha! Flying Press!" Yuki called as Hawlucha dove down, aiming to knock Tyrunt out with his super effective attack, until Grant made one last attempt to prevent the attack from getting its mark as he called to Tyrunt.

"Not on my watch! Now, Tyrunt! Rock Tomb!" Grant called as the Royal Heir Pokémon summoned boulders to attack Hawlucha, until Yuki countered back with another attack. "Use Karate Chop to counter them, and end this with Flying Press!" Yuki yelled as the Wrestling Pokémon let out a battle cry before he deflected all the rocks coming to him!

The Rock Tomb attack was negated, shocking both Grant and Tyrunt as Flying Press made a direct hit onto Tyrunt, causing everyone to watch and see what happened next, as pressure landed on both trainers that were hoping that their Pokémon were still able to stand. As time passed, the dust cleared with two figures still standing.

Everyone gaped to see that both Tyrunt and Hawlucha were still standing, until Tyrunt struggled as it fell down on its side as Hawlucha let out a loud battle cry, showing his triumph in the battle. "Tyrunt is unable to battle! Hawlucha wins! Which means the match goes to the challenger, Yuki!" The referee called, gesturing to Yuki's side.

**Winner: Yuki**

At hearing his victory, the Hawlucha Boy punched his fist in the air, feeling excited for his victory. "ALRIGHT! Victory, is ours!" Yuki cried as Hawlucha surprised him by tackling him with a hug for the win as Yuki laughed. "Ha ha ha! We did it, Hawlucha! Our second wall has been conquered!" Yuki said ecstatically, which Hawlucha nodded with a smirk.

"Hawlucha cha!" Hawlucha said, as the others cheered for Yuki's victory. "They did it! Yuki and Hawlucha did it! Yay!" Bonnie cheered out loud as Amaura and Dedenne cheered along, too. "Dedenne!" "Amaura! Maur!" The two cheered along. Tyrunt, on the other hand, was surprised to see that his own species lost, but he smiled instead.

He was on his Trainer's side, so he knew, that he should be happy for his human friend and his Pokémon friend's victory in the first Gym battle he had seen them win in. "Nice going, Yuki! Hawlucha!" "Pika Pi!" Ash and Pikachu cried together, as they were happy for the victory Yuki had achieved.

"That was an excellent battle!" Clemont complimented as Serena smiled at the victory that her friend has achieved. "That was really crazy, seeing them dodge and counter Rock Tomb like that..." Serena said in amazement as the Rock Type Gym Leader returned his defeated Tyrunt, thanking it for its efforts.

"Thank you, Tyrunt. That was a good fight you put up there." Grant thanked as he looked to see Yuki and Hawlucha bonding with each other for their victory together. "I must admit, I was quite surprised to see you and Hawlucha counter Rock Tomb and Draco Meteor like that, while you were in the middle of using Flying Press!" Grant said, expression get his surprise.

The Hawlucha Boy smiled back at Grant, before he explained on how it worked. "Heh... I didn't expect Draco Meteor, but I knew that it was similar with Rock Tomb, so after Bulbasaur and Buizel put all their efforts into it, I knew on what I had to do to evade those special attacks. In the end, it worked out." Yuki said with a smile.

The Gym Leader chuckled before he walked over to the group when the others approached Yuki. "Anyways, I'm impressed. With the impressive teamwork you and your Pokémon had with scaling over my wall, I hereby present you with the Cliff Badge!" Grant said as he showed the Gym Badge to Yuki and his partner.

The Hawlucha Boy blinked before he accepted it as he smiled, thanking the Gym Leader. "Thank you, Grant..." Yuki said as he summoned Buizel, Bulbasaur, and Heracross, before allowing Tyrunt and Amaura to approach him as well. With his six Pokémon crowding around him, the Hawlucha Boy showed his new Badge to the team.

"This is it, guys! The second achievement for our goal! The Cliff Badge!" Yuki cried as he showed the badge to his six Pokémon, as they all cheered for their second win as Grant turned to Ash with a small smile on his face and a reminder. "And Ash? I believe it's your turn to see if you can overcome my wall!" reminded Grant.

The Kanto trainer turned and grinned back with a nod, determination rising up inside him. "Yeah! And I'm ready when you are, Grant!" Ash exclaimed as the Gym Leader made one request to him. "In that case, would it be alright if we battle in the evening? Onix and Tyrunt will need to rest for a bit after their battle with Yuki." Grant asked.

"Sure! I'll be ready before you know it!" "Pika Pikachu!" Ash and Pikachu cried out together. With the decision made, the group decided to wait in the Gym for a while for Grant and his Pokémon to recover so the Kanto trainer would have his battle and his chance to earn his second Kalos Gym Badge.

**Meanwhile...**

A figure was walking down the pathway, approaching Cyllage City as he took out a piece of paper, showing Yuki's face on it. "So, this is where he could be, huh?" The figure said as he smiled a little, as he looked excited or ready to face the challenge that the Hawlucha Boy might give him if he were to confront him.

"Get ready, Yuki Muramoto! I will see if you are strong enough to confront of what's going to come to you, soon!" The figure said as he resumed walking to the city, in search of the Hawlucha Boy.

To be continued...

* * *

**Yuki's Team:**

**Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)**

**Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)**

**Bulbasaur: (F): (Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed)**

**Tyrunt: (M): (Bite, Rock Polish, AncientPower, Bide)**

**Amaura: (F): (Icy Wind, Rock Throw, Take Down, Mist)**

**Buizel: (M): (Water Gun, Scald, Double Team, Iron Tail)**

With Prof. Sycamore:

**Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 44: A New Challenge From the Experienced!**

**Chapter 45: A Sweet Battle! Yuki's Sweet Taste!**

**Chapter 46: Sweet Thievery! Swirl the Berries!**

**Chapter 47: A Sibling Reunion! The Fairy Flower!**

**Chapter 48: Memories and Bonds! A New Past!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Alright! It's my turn to see if I can win my second Kalos Gym Badge here!

Grant: I won't expect you to hold back, Ash. Because I won't be holding back at all!

Serena: Come on, Ash! You can do it! You've trained all this time for this, didn't you!?

Yuki: Who are you? And why did you call me out here when I should be cheering for my friend?

Toby: You're Yuki Muramoto, right? This is a great timing, because I challenge you to a battle!

Yuki: A challenge out of nowhere right now...? Fine... I accept your challenge!

**Events that occurred:**

\- The group arrives in Cyllage City and to the Cyllage Gym, reuniting with Grant

\- Yuki challenges Grant to a Gym battle and wins, earning the Cliff Badge.

\- A Trainer approaches Cyllage City, seemingly to be searching for Yuki.


End file.
